Whatever You Want
by The-Jellybaby-Bandit
Summary: Obnoxious, bigoted, egotistical, moronic but I can't get him out of my mind. Join Kurt as he goes off the deep end... Complete as of 1 August 2010.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

**I would however love to own Kurt and have the option of a time-share on Puck sadly though my time machine hasn't yet been delivered so I can't go back and pitch the show to Fox myself. Of course if I did, it'd be called The Adventures of Kurt Hummel and not Glee. Still it has spin-off potential does it not? I call dibs! :-)**

**For the avoidance of doubt this is going to be Kurt/Puck slash so if that's not your bag please click on the little x top right or press Alt+F4. *Grin* **

_Italics are thoughts_

_**Bold italics is Parseltongue... oops wrong kind of fanfic... ;-p**_

**Chapter One – Dumpster Diving for Developing Divas**

* * *

Lying in the dumpster Kurt could feel something cold and wet soaking into his pants leg. Heaving a long suffering sigh, the brunette sat up examining his shoulder with disdain as he flicked a piece of southern-fried chicken from the shoulder of his Marc Jacobs jacket.

This particular morning that knuckle dragging mouth-breather Dave Karofsky had been the ringleader for the dumpster dive and he had never been one to allow Kurt to remove any of his more delicate items of couture before being tossed. Since starting High School Kurt's admittedly already substantial dry cleaning bills had gone through the roof; not that he needed to worry about cost as his Dad's chain of garages meant that money had never been an issue for the Hummel family.

Taking a shallow breath; a deep breath in a dumpster not being the wisest move; and with his mask of haughty contempt for all the lesser beings easily slipping back into place, Kurt manoeuvred himself into the corner of the dumpster, hooked his hand over the rim and used his foot for purchase to raise himself up and over the side.

With all the grace of a prima ballerina, Kurt swung his legs over and caught himself on the edge of the dumpster, gently lowering himself the five feet to the asphalt below. Spying his Prada book-bag laying next to the dumpster with what appeared to be a jock-sized footprint on the calfskin leather Kurt rolled his eyes, gathered up his belongings and decided to make his way to the nearest bathroom to make running repairs on his appearance before he ran out of time before his first class.

Ever since he'd been young Kurt had never been and 'ordinary' child and there had never been a time in his life that he hadn't been picked on, singled out and bullied by those both physically larger and more cerebrally challenged than him. Of course, being the only openly gay male his age in Lima wasn't exactly the best way to fly beneath the radar. Still Kurt managed to hold it all together using his absolute faith that once he'd managed to get through High School and head to New York that fame, fortune and acceptance would be his.

Reaching into his bag Kurt withdrew his compact and checked his reflection in the mirror. Pale, perfectly complexioned skin, beautiful blue eyes and full rosy lips looked back at him as he adjusted his bangs and restored his hair to pristine fabulousness.

As he snapped shut his compact being sufficiently satisfied that his appearance would now carry him through to getting to the bathroom, Kurt heard the distant squeal of tires and the opening strains of Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' as an old beat-up Ford truck barrelled into the parking lot and came to a shuddering halt in the space two down from the dumpster Kurt had just paid a visit to.

As the music died away, there in the driver's seat in all of his mohawked glory was William McKinley's self-proclaimed badass and cougar hunter Noah "Puck" Puckerman. Standing tall at 5'11'' Puck dwarfed Kurt somewhat at only 5'7½'' his smoky brown tan obtained from hours of cleaning pools in the baking sun and his taut footballer's body highlighted in tight black jeans and a white wife beater that proudly showed off his well toned biceps or "the guns" as he liked to refer to them.

Hopping down from the cab and pushing his shades up onto the top of his head Puck stood resplendent in the mid-morning sunshine. Turning and reaching back into the cab to grab his bag, Kurt couldn't help but admire the perfect specimen that was Puck's ass.

_'He may have the tolerance and personality appeal of a warthog but he is pleasing on the eye', _Kurt admitted to himself.

Having retrieved his bag, Puck slammed the door on his truck and turned towards the school and to Kurt.

"Morning Fag!" called Puck while Kurt's eyes lost some of their sparkle as he stood waiting for the rest of the onslaught. Puck was either completely oblivious or completely unwavering of the effect his words had on the brunette and plowed on.

"Y'know I always suspected you liked dumpster diving in the morning and here you are, just waiting for me."

An ugly smirk marred Puck's handsome face as he stalked towards Kurt. The only outward sign that Kurt had been hurt by Puck's slur was a slight dulling and narrowing of his eyes.

Kurt stood transfixed in front of Puck as the taller boy reached him. For a moment all all thoughts of snappy comebacks were forgotten as the tight wife-beater Puck was wearing stretched over what were unmistakeably very well defined abs. Shaking himself and restoring his mask again Kurt's eyes went cold as he pulled himself up to his full 5'7½'' and crossed his arms defiantly.

"If that's what you think then then you've quite clearly taken one to many footballs to the head."

_'Good going Kurt that was a truly awful comeback', _he berated himself internally.

Puck's sudden approach had thrown him more off his game than he'd initially thought.

Puck however just smirked sardonically at Kurt and made to move towards the school. Just as he was passing the boy however Puck paused, and leant in towards Kurt invading his personal space. Kurt couldn't help it as he picked up on an enticing earthy musk with a hint of Axe coming from the jock that caused his heart rate to increase. This only served to make him apprehensive about the close proximity of the half-back.

Backed against the dumpster now, Kurt was pinned in by the half-back, who had placed one hand either side of his head effectively blocking off any route of escape. Kurt was now starting to feel resigned to the unique occurrence of a second dumpster dive in one day. 

_'When will my humiliation be complete?'_, he wondered.

Flinching to his great shame, Kurt was shocked speechless when Puck merely reached to behind his ear and withdrew a curly fry from his hair. Kurt was mortified that he'd clearly missed the foodstuff on his prior rather rushed inspection.

"Vegetables are for eating Hummel, they're not some kind of faggy fashion accessory", said Puck harshly.

The dichotomy between his deep smoky voice and his awful slur was jarring, while he flicked the curly fry over the lip of the dumpster back to where it had come from.

Despite his best efforts Kurt could feel his skin flush with both embarrassment and arousal. 

_'For the love of Versace, get it together Hummel this is Puck!' _he berated himself.

The space around Kurt seemed to shrink further as Puck leaned closer still almost brushing Kurt's skin with his lips, as his deep husky voice whispered in Kurt's ear.

"Never thought you could smell delicious but I do love fries".

And then as quick as he was there, he was gone. Disappearing around the back of the dumpster and towards the side entrance which would be closest to his locker.

Kurt who had involuntarily closed his eyes a few moments before sunk further against the dumpster, unheeding of any contamination to his expensive outfit as he tried to control his breathing. In the distance the tardy bell rang announcing that he was now late for first period Spanish.

Trying to get himself back under control Kurt straightened up, ran his fingers through his hair once again checking for any other stray fries and hurried into the building towards his locker to pick up his books.

Grumbling to himself he could be heard to say

"Great now I'll have to apologise to Mr Schue for being late to class. What's the Spanish for late? Tarde... tardio?"

* * *

**A/N: Well there you have it, the opening chapter of my story. I have literally no idea where this is going to go, I am simply going to write it as I feel it. Sorry if that annoys anyone but hey it's my party and I'll write how I want to...**

**PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU LIKE PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU DON'T JUST PLEASE REVIEW.**

**Edited: 23 July 2010  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**The characters from Fox's hit show Glee do not belong to me. No copyright infringement is intended, this is purely an exercise for fun.**

**Chapter Two - Should Have Paid Attention**

* * *

As it happened, Kurt ended up being almost 15 minutes late to Spanish class and spent the rest of the period in a contemplative funk.

He had successfully apologised to Mr Schue for being late and in fluent Spanish no less which went some way towards lessening Mr Schue's ire, however later in the lesson having tuned out completely to the lecture on how to properly conjugate verbs, he'd been startled to find that he'd been asked a question and had absolutely no idea what the answer was. Kurt swore that Mr Schue must have patented that 'you shot my puppy' look of disappointment. Boy how he wished he'd taken the elective for French instead of Spanish. At least French would be useful when he hit the Paris fashion shows after graduation.

As the bell sounded signalling the end of the period, Kurt retreated to his locker before heading to Glee. He found himself becoming both frustrated and angry, not with being late for class, nor even with the homophobic slurs from Puck but rather he was annoyed at his own traitorous hormones.

Ever since he'd outed himself publicly to both his Father and Mercedes he'd been feeling an increasing desire to find a companion, not a boyfriend as such, though one of those wouldn't go amiss, but rather someone else who was openly gay like him who would understand what he was feeling and going through and could relate to him.

Had he thought about it further, Kurt would have probably likened his own hormonal craziness to that of Quinn who had become increasingly more erratic as the weeks and months of her pregnancy wore on. Just the day before when Finn had finished the last ding-dong in the packet, despite Quinn having offered it to him just moments earlier, she had broken down in hysterical tears accusing the Quarterback of stealing food from a babies mouth. Kurt had to admit that Finn's 'shot-puppy' expression was slightly less polished than Mr Schue's but retained a raw honest quality that he couldn't help but admire.

In the end it took Finn and three others, twenty minutes and an exasperated promise to keep the girl supplied for the remainder of her term with as many ding-dongs as she could eat, to calm down Mount Fabray. Kurt snorted at the memory of Finn trying to bargain with a bawling Quinn, offering first to replace the one ding-dong, then to buy a packet and then; becoming increasingly desperate when Quinn had still not stopped sobbing; to offer to keep her in ding-dongs for as long as she wanted. Finn may be straight, but at times Kurt did wonder, he had an amazing propensity for drama queen-like behaviour. A guy can hope can't he?

Kurt also was completely clear that this growing need for companionship wasn't about him looking to replace Mercedes as his best friend. He loved 'cedes make no mistake about it, she was his BFF and he'd lay down his life for her, or better yet his signed photo of Matthew McConnaughey. Mercedes was after all the first person he openly came out to but she had her own issues to be getting on with and as much as she might have wanted to understand and help Kurt with his deal, she was still sore over the failed experiment with Puck and was trying just as hard as he was to figure out who she was.

And it was that train of thought that led to the current circumstances of Kurt slamming his books forcefully back into his locker, heedless of creases, dents, rips or tears. Kurt had been trying to ignore and dismiss the feelings he'd experienced earlier that morning when in close proximity to Puck. As much as intellectually he wanted to chalk it up as simply a biological response to stimuli he couldn't help but berate himself for being unable to think of Puck without wondering whether his abs really were as solid as they had looked that morning.

Having now run out of books to slam down in an over-the-top diva style; Kurt repacked his bag for Glee the next period, making sure to throw in a granola bar and a ding-dong just in case there were any rumblings from Mount Fabray. Taking once last look in the mirror on the inside of his locker door, satisfied that he looked just as fabulous as always, he plucked his phone from his pocket to track down 'cedes.

Hitting speed-dial he called the girl's cell only to hear the opening bars to Bootylicious from somewhere just a few metres behind him. As Mercedes approached and took in Kurt's expression she realised that something had obviously cheesed him off. Being all to aware of how temperamental the brunette had been of late however had engendered her to a slight sense of caution.

Coming to a stop beside him and leaning on the adjacent locker she said nothin and just raised a single eyebrow that instinctively demanded an explanation for his rough treatment of the contents of his locker. She could clearly see Kurt's prized bottle of Chanel No 5 was now lying sideways wedged into the spine of his Spanish dictionary. Kurt wasted no time in venting to the girl.

"I could so go for a mani-pedi-non-fat-yoghurt-Johnny-Depp-athon tonight 'cedes..." he said his shoulders drooping somewhat under the weight of the day, "...my place at seven?"

To ensure her compliance Kurt tilted his head down and looked upwards, fluttering his eyelashes dramatically in a way that had always worked to get what he wanted, from his friends and from his Dad. When he'd first tried out the look on his Dad aged seven his Dad had broken down in tears at the sight, confessing to Kurt that he'd picked up on the same blackmail technique his Mother had used on him when they were married.

Johnny Depp in his pirate costume was one of Kurt's guiltiest pleasures, though through judicial application of selective amnesia Kurt would go to his grave swearing that Johnny had never played Willy Wonka at all.

"Oh hell yeah" said Mercedes trying her best to sound upbeat for her friends' benefit. She'd had many a good natured argument with Kurt over the whole Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and whether films based on theme park rides should even be allowed. Kurt's argument each time boiled down to three words "Johnny freaking Depp" - not the best argument in the history of debating but try as she might Mercedes had yet to be able to sway Kurt from his conviction.

Before the age old debate could again reignite, a feminine squeal was heard from further down the hallway. Closing his locker, Kurt raised himself up on tiptoe and tried peering through the scrum of kids to see the source. Finally his eyes landed on a purple-faced Tina, standing immobile beside a blue-faced Artie, the pair obviously having just both been subjected to slushie facials. Rolling his eyes at the juvenile behaviour of the jocks, he turned to Mercedes, nodding in their direction.

"Shall we?" he said, slinging his bag onto his shoulder, a bag which of course was filled with all the products required to get corn starch out of hair using only tap water and elbow grease.

Splitting the contents of the bag with 'cedes, Kurt walked round behind Artie who was doing a passable impression of a wheelchair-bound Smurf and began wheeling him in the direction of the bathrooms while Mercedes linked arms with Tina and acted as a seeing eye dog in the opposite direction.

* * *

Having successfully cleaned up Artie and delivered a comprehensive ten-minute lecture to the wheelchair-bound boy on the benefits of not wearing polyester sweater vests, the foursome met up once more and headed towards the Choir Room for Glee Club.

Entering the room, Kurt noted that the majority of the group was already in attendance, though Mr Schue was clearly yet to arrive.

Rachel was at the piano with Brad running through endless scales, Kurt felt sorry for the monosyllabic pianist sometimes. Having to spend hours doing scales for Rachel's benefit must rank up there with other monumentally crappy jobs like cleaning out bedpans at the hospital or being Phil Collins' agent.

Santana and Brittany were engaged in a hushed conversation at the back of the room which seemed to involve periodic sly glances towards Matt and Mike who were sitting together playing cards two seats down. Kurt shuddered to think what the future was going to hold for the two football players who were completely oblivious to the almost predatory glances being thrown their way by the Cheerios. 

_'Well Santana's look is predatory... I can't say the same for Britt... she looks like she's got gas...' _thought Kurt as Brittany announced loudly into the room

"I've forgotten where my house is again".

All sound in the room stopped as everyone contemplated the statement and Santana simply rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry Britt, I programmed your Sat Nav remember? You won't ever end up in Cincinatti again."

Conspicuous by their absence however were Quinn, Finn and Puck. The dynamic between the trio had been strained since the revelation about Puck and not Finn being the baby-daddy. The three had again started talking but everyone could tell that it was only because of the baby that they were being in any way civil to each other. Quinn and Kurt had become a lot closer since her pregnancy had become public knowledge and she had revealed to him during one of her now frequent '_hormonal episodes' _that Puck had actually been trying to step up, convinced that he could take responsibility as a Father. He'd even apparently offered to steal the proceeds of the bake sale for Sectionals to put towards the costs of the ultrasound; which Kurt had to admit was sweet in a Puck kind of way.

As Kurt gracefully folded himself into a chair with Artie and Tina on his right and Mercedes on his left, before he could become engaged in conversation Mr Schue arrived, with the terrible trio following in his wake. Quinn moved surprisingly nimbly to take up the lone free seat between Matt & Mike and the other Cheerios. Her gait suggested to Kurt that her back was again hurting her, the poor girl didn't know what she was letting herself in for with being pregnant. One of the things that Kurt and Quinn had bonded over was his wondrous talent at Shiatsu.

The loss of this seat left Finn and Puck to fight over the chair on the end of the row. The alternative was to be left with the seat directly beside Rachel, which was tantamount to subjecting yourself to Chinese Water Torture.

Kurt snorted as Finn and Puck jostled each other in an attempt to get to the end seat first; Puck eventually winning the battle by standing on Finn's heel and causing the taller boy to trip and fall head-first into Rachel's lap.

This was the final straw for a number of the Gleeks who started giggling at the absolutely priceless expression on Rachel's face, part hope, part mortification and the equally amusing expression of anger mixed with embarrassment from Finn. Picking himself up from his knees, Finn haltingly apologised to Rachel who had the good grace to blush and look away mumbling as he tried to sit himself down in the now only vacant chair in the room, with some semblance of dignity.

"It's no problem" said Rachel before tacking on "...anytime."

Apparently only just then realising what had escaped from her traitorous mouth, Rachel slapped a hand over the offending orifice and turned an even brighter shade of fire-engine red. Kurt was reminded of the trip he'd taken to London the previous year and the colour of the buses running up and down the Mall. It always cheered him up to see Rachel insert her twinkle-toes into her own mouth. Perhaps today wouldn't be a complete loss after all.

Kurt's hopes were dashed just moments later as Mr Schue cleared his throat and smiling like a child who's been told he's going to Disney World; announced that week's Glee assignment. Kurt tried to pay Mr Schue the attention he deserved but he found his mind wandering again and so only picked up every one in three words concerning the assignment. Words like "ballad" and "rock" and "choreography" blurred together in one seamless mass of description that Kurt would later regret not having paid attention to.

Tuning back in only when Mr Schue moved to behind the Piano and retrieved the Hat of Fate did he realise that this week's assignment was not going to be a group exercise.

"OK guys, I'm going to pick names out of the Hat of Fate in pairs and that will be the pairing you will be working in for the next 3 weeks" said Mr Schue while scribbling down names onto twelve pieces of paper. Kurt couldn't help the shocked expression on his face as he realised that the assignment must be something unique as Mr Schue had never set out a task that would take more than a week to complete before.

Finally having finished scrunching up names and adding them to the Hat, Mr Schue turned to face the group and drew the first pairing of Santana and Mike followed by Matt and Mercedes. Both pairs looked pleased with the selctions, especially 'cedes who had confessed to Kurt the week prior that she had been developing feelings for the quiet football player. Kurt was pleased that the girl would now have an 'in' with him.

_'You go girl!'_

Mr Schue continued drawing names with Rachel being paired with Brittany, Artie being drawn with Quinn, who looked up at Mr Schue chagrined having been caught trying to stuff a ho-ho into her mouth without being noticed, Tina was paired with a still red-faced Finn and finally to his horror Kurt realised that there was only one possible pairing left...

"...and last but not least, Kurt is paired with Puck".

_'Oh for the love of Bette just kill me now!'_

* * *

_**A/N: And there we are, two chapters in two days. Small chapters I know but I think it'll work better for me to get a little out each day rather than store it all up for larger posts, it's certainly keeping me interested. **_

**All reviews and plot suggestions will be gratefully received, I literally have no idea where I'm going to take this story beyond what I have written right now. **

**James xoxo**

**Edited: 23 July 2010  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: This chapter is going to be from Puck's perspective but then that'll probably become clear very early on. **

**This chapter is dedicated to Mike who inspired me to start writing again when I was going to take the night off. Not bad for three hours work if I do say so myself.**

**Please review and let me know what you think. I'm still not sure if I'm inside the character's heads or not so sorry if it's a little OOC. **

_As before Italics are thoughts_

* * *

**Chapter Three – Would The Real Noah Puckerman Please Stand Up?**

Rule Number 1# - Noah Puckerman was a badass. All other rules were fluid, except for Rule Number 1# - that was fixed, defined, irrefutable. Puck's truck wound its way though Lima, his new $1500 stereo system fully appreciating the soundtrack to his morning. The opening bars of Enter Sandman pumping out at full volume causing the windows to rattle slightly with the bass. With his wrap-around shades securely in place and mohawk trimmed to perfection; Puck thought to himself that though things had been insanely complicated in recent months they were starting to look up again. Sure, he'd slept with his best friend's girl Q and got her pregnant. And yeah Finn had found out the baby wasn't his and there was a whole drama over that; but through it all Puck took solace in the fact that one thing never changed. He was still a stud and his bad-assedness knew no bounds. Yeah Puck knew that wasn't a word, he was actually quite knowledgeable and well read thanks to his Mom's obsession with Discovery Channel and the local Library; but Puck was so badass that they had had to invent a word to describe his awesomeness. When Chuck Norris thought of a badass, he thought of Puck.

With a squeal of tyres Puck aimed his truck to his usual space, weaving slightly to avoid a badly parked Korean car which Puck knew belonged to Brittany. How he knew that was simple, he'd been a passenger in the back seat of the small compact a few months back. Britt had fallen out with Santana and Puck being Puck wasted no time in exploiting the blonde girl's distress and upset. Before Britt could blink she was being introduced to Puckzilla in the back seat of her car in the parking lot at Lima Stadium. What a night that had been, especially given there was a football game going on at the time.

Bringing his truck to a stop Puck popped the door and hopped from the cab. Pushing up his shades, he tilted his head back and just stood for a moment letting the morning sun wash over his skin. Turning back to the cab and reaching under the passenger seat Puck retrieved his backpack which he then slung over his shoulder before slamming the door on his truck closed. Puck's truck was his pride and joy and though it had seen better days; there were patches of rust, numerous dents and scraped paint patches; it was one of the few things in the world that Puck owned outright and he treated his truck like a princess and bought her shiny new accessories like his new stereo.

Growing up as a kid with just his Mom and his sister after his good for nothing Dad skipped out on them when he was six, money in the Puckerman household had always been tight. His Mom had been incredible though and had spent years holding down two jobs just to make ends meet. People would say and had already said to Puck that $1500 was a lot to spend on a stereo and it was. But what nobody in the world knew was that the stereo was a present to himself, after he'd dropped $4000 from his pool cleaning business into a college fund for his little sister, Sarah. Yeah Puck may be a badass stud but he loved his family and he'd been brought up right. Puck liked to think his Mom'd done a hell of a job.

Pushing his shades up on top of his head Puck surveyed his kingdom. William McKinley High School was his domain, he was top dog, Alpha male. Glancing towards the dumpster, Puck spotted the little-homo-that-could preening himself with a compact mirror.

_Seriously he may be a fag but does he have to remind everyone by wearing make-up?_

Puck had stopped dishing out dumpster dives to Hummel a few weeks after he joined Glee and though he would never admit it aloud, it was all cos of Aretha and her threat to cut him if he didn't stop. Damn that girl could be scary sometimes. Full on exorcist scary but without the green puke or violating herself with a cross.

Things had been going alright, he'd adjusted his morning routine to snag that school paper freak, Jason or Jacob or whatever instead of Hummel but it wasn't the same. The guy's voice grated and he was still new enough at the game to believe bargaining and begging with Puck was going to change the outcome.

And then Hummel had gone and 'auditioned' for the role of kicker on the football team. Puck snorted to himself remembering the dumbfounded expression on Coach's face when tiny, skinny little Kurt Hummel danced his way to the football and then stuck the ball between the posts like he'd been born to do it. He rationalised that it'd be unsporting to be pushing around a team-member, even if that team-member was gayer than Liberace and Elton John's love-child.

It wasn't that Puck disliked Hummel he just didn't like the cold shoulder and the holier than thou attitude he'd developed over the years. Of course Puck realised that attitude was partly his fault given that he'd never let up on the gay kid since grade school. When he thought about it sometimes he got this weird feeling in his gut, kinda like gas. Q had pointed out it sounded he was feeling an emotion like compassion or guilt, but he'd written it off as the after-effects of a bad breakfast burrito. No point over-analysing everything, it's not like he was a chick or anything. When he'd said as much to Q he was surprised to find himself being knocked off the bed by Q's right cross. Seriously those pompom's must be heavy, the girl had serious knock-out potential.

"Morning Fag!" called Puck noticing the light in the kid's eyes dim a little seeing Puck's approach. "Y'know I always suspected you liked dumpster diving in the morning and here you are, just waiting for me" Puck smiled what he thought was a semi-friendly joking smile in Hummel's direction. Though he'd reached an unspoken truce with Hummel, the deal between Puck and Aretha had stayed between them so as to protect his rep.

Noticing that Hummel hadn't responded and that he was just standing there with a glazed look in his eye, Puck realised that the homo was checking him out.

_Let him look _he thought; he was after all a stud, men and women the world over should envy and lust after him, it was only natural. Tensing his biceps and drawing his arms away from his body so as to stretch his wife-beater over his chest, Puck couldn't help but chuckle internally to watch Hummel visibly collect himself enough to deliver an icy glare in his direction.

"If that's what you think then then you've quite clearly taken one to many footballs to the head."

Puck winced on Hummel's behalf at the poor quality of comeback. Hummel's cutting wit was usually razor sharp and so many of his fellow jocks had been on the receiving end of the kid's biting insults. Of course, very few of his team-mates would even understand what a 'mouth-breathing Neanderthal' was. Puck's hot body had clearly thrown Hummel off his stride more than he'd thought. _Puckzilla 1 Hummel 0 _he thought.

Realising that if he wanted to get to the slushie machine before first period that he'd have to make a move now, Puck made to leave Hummel to his own devices.

Brushing past the smaller boy with the intention of riling him up a little more, Puck spotted something the pale skinned boy had obviously overlooked in his compact mirror. The opportunity was too good to pass up.

Stalking slowly towards the gleek, noticing Hummel's breathing speed up and him lick his lower lip, he backed him up against the side of the dumpster placing one arm each side of Hummel's head. A part of Puck was surprised that there was no objection from the smaller boy to his obviously expensive clothes being sullied by the cold metal surface.

Drawing the moment out Puck noticed that the longer he stayed silent, the more uncertain the look became in Hummel's eyes. He actually looked resigned, defeated. This wasn't the Kurt Hummel he'd come to expect, where was the fire, the drive, the passion? It seemed to have been snuffed out in an instant.

And then it hit him - hard. Hummel... Kurt was afraid of him. He clearly expected him to either hurt him or toss him back in the dumpster again. Sure he'd been cruel and had taunted the kid but he'd never expected that Kurt would fear for his safety around him. Puck had always been careful not to jostle the smaller boy during previous dumpster dives; causing pain or injury was never the object of the exercise. It was all about bringing Hummel back down a peg or two; show him that Puck was still the Alpha around town.

The revelation was almost too much for Puck who only barely held it together while letting his mouth run in familiar patterns. Reaching up to behind Kurt's right ear,

_Hold on when did he become Kurt all of a sudden? It's Hummel, or fag or homo. Get it together Puckerman._

That feeling of bad burrito was back again in the pit of his stomach, and only increased tenfold when the smaller boy flinched as if expecting to be struck.

"Vegetables are for eating Hummel, they're not some kind of faggy fashion accessory" he said not even aware of what he was saying anymore or of how harsh the intonation had been. Puck was now focused entirely on wishing that he could walk away from this interaction; or better yet to rewind five minutes and park up his truck somewhere else. Somewhere far from the dumpster so that he didn't have to experience this gnawing feeling in his gut that he was experiencing now.

Shaking himself mentally, Puck plucked the curly fry from Hummel's hair before flicking it over the rim of the dumpster. Puck was gratified to note the simple movement seemed to bring some life back to the smaller boy and he saw the beginnings of a blush forming on Kurt's neck... _Hummel. Hummel's neck_ he had to remind himself.

Feeling the need to say something else, to apologise without words for whatever he'd done, he didn't quite understand what but he had to do something, he leaned into the smaller boy's personal space and whispered softly

"Never thought you could smell delicious but I do love fries" watching with satisfaction as the smaller boy's eyes slipped shut and his blush returned full force.

_There... that's a much better look on you Hummel_ he thought before slipping off swiftly around the back of the dumpster towards his locker.

* * *

Having swung by the cafeteria and picked up a grape slushie which had been unloaded in spectacular fashion if he did say so himself, into the face of the reporter kid; Puck made his way to the Nurse's office for his morning nap. When the old Nurse fell down the stairs and ended up in a coma, the school had hired a replacement in Mrs Schue, who had promptly gotten everyone in Glee club high as a kite on over-the-counter medication. It was almost as bad as when that April chick was part of Glee and got Hummel those muscle magazines and hooked on booze to get by.

****Puck shook himself again, still unable to banish the image in his mind of the small, vulnerable gay kid pressed against the dumpster with a look of spooked animal in his eyes.

Since there were no available Nurse's in the school district, Figgins had decided to stock a first-aid box in the Nurse's office and simply hang the key on a hook by the door for anyone who needed it. Spotting an opportunity he couldn't pass up Puck had decided he 'needed' it and swiped the key. So now he had complete unfettered access to a room with a comfortable cot and a black-out blind which was intended for the migraine sufferers in the school.

_Sucks to be them_ he thought chuckling to himself.

Setting the alarm on his cell for a little before lunch, Puck decided to catch up on a little shut eye.

* * *

Roused some time later by a banging on the outer door of the office, Puck sat up suddenly noting that while he'd been asleep he'd clearly started hugging the pillow and that it was now slick with his saliva.

Swinging his legs over the edge of the cot as the banging resumed again he stood and made his way over to the door. Raising the Venetian blind covering the window he peered through sleep encrusted eyes to see Q growling back at him and demanding that he open up. Steeling himself Puck disengaged the lock and stepped back as Quinn forced the door open almost hitting Puck in the face and made for the cabinet in the corner.

"My vitamins are in here you jackass and you just wasted five minutes of my day banging on a door you had no right to lock. What were you in here jacking off or something?" she asked before realising the thought grossed her out and started chanting

"ew ew ew ew" before demanding of him "Tell me you weren't jacking off in here!"

Enjoying her squirming Puck stayed stoic and silent knowing that to josh about with Q at the moment was playing with fire. And he liked the fire in her eyes.

Swallowing down the last of her tablets Q looked at Puck quizzically as if something wasn't quite right with the world. Finally giving up and shrugging her shoulders, Q paced over to Puck who had yet to move an inch since she had barged into the room and stopped a few inches from him, looking up at him through long blonde lashes.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked, genuinely concerned for her sometime-friend, one-time lover. It wasn't like Puck to be so silent for so long.

Taking a deep breath in and exhaling forcefully Quinn wrinkled her nose and murmured "gross" at the faint odour of toaster pockets on his breath before pausing from launching her intended diatribe when Puck spoke, almost in a whisper.

"I think that guilt stuff you were talking about before might be real and I don't like how it makes me feel."

Realising that this was potentially a big conversation to be having with Puck, Quinn moved to close the door to the office and eased herself down into the chair by the desk. Puck remained standing by the door, as unmoving as a marble statue.

Examining his demeanour Quinn could easily recognise that Puck was truly troubled and that he clearly needed to get something off his chest. All the barriers that Puck had tried to erect to keep himself in check were brought down by two words from Quinn.

"Tell me".

So he did, he told her about running into Hummel on his way in, how he'd taunted him as usual. How he'd seen something die a little in the smaller boy as he ran his mouth with his usual cutting diatribe and how it actually _hurt_ in his chest now to think of the slight boy huddled against the dumpster and _scared_ of him.

Quinn realised that Puck was on the verge of something big and wheezing a little at the effort, she raised herself back off the chair and moved to embrace Puck. That seemed to be the last straw for the resident badass as he nuzzled his face into the junction of her neck and shoulder and drew comfort from her.

"What do I do Q?" he asked almost pleadingly.

"Do what feels right in here" she said withdrawing from the embrace slightly and laying her hand over his heart. Considering her words and nodding he drew himself back up to his full height, ran a hand over his face and looked down at Quinn.

"We would never have worked together would we?" he asked as Quinn shook her head sadly. He continued on however saying "I'm glad though that I know you, that I can trust you and I hope you know you can trust me to". Quinn's eyes were suspiciously wet at that declaration and she again embraced him while whispering "It's time for Glee".

Taking another deep breath, Puck and Quinn withdrew from each other and linking arms left the office in the direction of the Choir Room.

* * *

Running into Finn on their way to the club, the trio could hear scales echoing down the corridor from Rachel as she warmed up. The girl seriously had no comprehension of when to modulate the volume of her voice. It was good for a stage to belt out a number at 100% but in close confines, some members of the Glee club had started wearing noise reducing earplugs when she was performing numbers. On the plus side, it also reduced the amount of inane chatter that tended to spew from the girl's mouth when she was passionate about a particular subject.

Still Rachel despite all her flaws did have undeniable potential to be smoking hot even if she did kiss like a wet fish on occasion. She wasn't even in the same league as Q but that train had sailed as Austin Powers would say.

Entering the Choir Room just behind Mr Schue but not enough to officially be looked on as being late, Puck took stock of where everyone was sitting. Quickly he spotted that if he wanted to avoid sitting beside Rachel for the next however many hours, he'd need to beat Finn to the seat on the end of the row.

Using the momentary distraction of Brittany announcing to the room that she'd forgotten where she lived again, Puck stood on Finn's heel and jostled him enough to send him stumbling head first into Rachel's lap.

Sitting down with a smirk on the end chair, he watched amused as first Finn and then Rachel stumbled through apologies to each other and Rachel again stuck her foot in her mouth by revealing way too much information on her attraction to the tall Quarterback.

Puck noted Mr Schue shuffling some papers at the piano and watched as he cleared his throat drawing the attention of the room. Normally Puck would have zoned out by now perhaps fantasising about Santana and Brittany or about Rachel going down on Quinn which were two of his personal favourites but for once his mind was scattered enough that he focused intently upon what Mr Schue was announcing.

Mr Schue loaded up the Hat of Fate as he tended to do every week; nothing was planned in Glee it seemed, everything was determined by the hands of the gods.

"Ok guys, I'm going to pick names out of the Hat of Fate in pairs and that will be the pairing you will be working in for the next 3 weeks"

Puck started working out in his head his preferred partners, Santana would be good if only for the three weeks of sexting that would inevitably come with working with her closely. Brittany and he could go see some more football parking lots if they got paired up so that'd be cool. Rachel or Finn or Tina or Artie he could live if need be. The only thing he was entirely certain on was that he did not want to be paired with Hummel. Three weeks with him right now was probably the worst thing that could happen in the history of the universe as far as he was concerned.

The draw was made and as each name came out of the hat, Puck's anxiety levels rose exponentially before

"and last but not least, Kurt is paired with Puck".

_Ah crap!_

* * *

_**A/N: Woohoo, 3 days, 3 chapters. Big thanks to Mike whose review was the catalyst for this entire chapter. I quite enjoyed getting inside the mind of pseudo-Puck. Let me know if it was believable will you? Not too fast?**_

_**Oh and I love supportive-Quinn so she'll be playing a major role in this fic.**_

_**James xoxo**_


	4. Chapter 4

******Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The OC in this chappie is mine though. **

**A/N: Future chapters will probably take turn about from now, switching between Kurt and Puck's perspectives. But then again, maybe not! Who knows? This random writing stuff is actually quite fun once you get down to it!**

**Anyway, thank you to my other reviewers TheCommonGleek, debraelq and .zip, I'm glad you've liked what I've done so far and here's hoping I can continue to keep you entertained. **

**On with the show! **

**Chapter Four – Hulk Mad, Hulk Smash**

* * *

Kurt Hummel was not a happy bunny. He'd had a crappy day at school from start to finish; Mercedes had then had to duck out of their planned Johnny Depp marathon to work with Matt on their duet and to top it all off - he'd been drawn by that stupid Hat to spend the next three weeks working on a Glee performance with that meat-headed philistine Puck!

Kurt scowled in annoyance as he harshly swung his Navigator around a turn without signalling, leaving a crescendo of blaring horns trailing in his wake. The weather that afternoon had decided to mirror Kurt's mood, the sky a murky grey with heavy and oppressive clouds burgeoning with rain. A constant stream of fat raindrops was pattering at the windscreen as the Navigator's wipers tried to keep up with the deluge. Kurt just wanted to get home, put on some music and take a long soak in splendid isolation for a few hours. The stress of the day was wearing on him and Kurt could feel his eyelids getting heavy and starting to droop.

It was a testament to how stressed out Kurt was that he'd completely forgotten to plug in his iPod and so the silence of the journey home was absolute, broken only by the rhythmic metronome of the wiper blades or the occasional muttered curse word from the only occupant of the car.

At last, after what had seemed to have been an inordinate amount of time, Kurt spotted his turning up ahead in the gloom and sighed with relief in the knowledge that he was now just minutes away from the sanctuary of his basement.

When he'd first pitched the idea of moving from his small first floor bedroom into the larger, expansive and previously underused basement, Kurt's father had been reluctant to consent. Especially when Kurt had vehemently insisted that he be allowed to fit a lock to the inside of the basement door. Burt however loved his son with a single minded devotion and had never been able to deny Kurt anything his son had ever wanted. And so had begun the bargaining process between Father and Son ending with Burt having agreed to the move with the concession to fitting a lock which could be overridden by a keypad on the outside in case of emergencies.

From the moment his Dad had given the OK, Kurt had taken to work clearing out the basement junk, washing the windows and whitewashing the walls with a single minded passion. Kurt was also one to realise his limitations and so not being the most technically minded Burt himself and two contractors were drafted in to put up drywall for a walk in closet and to fit carpets and tiles. The biggest job by far however was to convert the old laundry room into what Burt now jokingly referred to as the 'Day Spa'.

As with everything in his life, precision mattered to Kurt and he was therefore neurotically exacting in what he wanted for his new room and bathroom. When he'd presented the plans for the basement to his Dad and the contractor his Dad had hired, he'd thought things would work out fairly easy and straightforward. What's that saying about wishes and horses?

Hunt Jackson was a former Marine who'd served with his Dad during Desert Storm in '91. There weren't a lot of ways out of Lima and the Marine Corps did swift business of those kids who wanted to escape but didn't have the grades for College.

Burt, Finn's Father, Chris Hudson and Hunt Jackson had all been part of the same training class at Quantico and all three had shipped out to the Kuwaiti border shortly thereafter. As is the case when you go to war, some good men don't come back. Chris Hudson was one of those men. The feelings he'd harboured for Finn for the past few years had led to him be very observant when it came to the quiet Quarterback. He'd noted on a number of occasions when older guys had interacted with Finn in a fatherly way, how he'd seen the raw hunger in his crush's eyes, desperate for the tiniest morsel of approval. Though Kurt missed his Mom every day at least he'd known her a little bit, could remember her smile, her smell and her laughter. He couldn't imagine what his life would become if his Dad wasn't around to support him. Burt was his anchor and as far as Kurt was concerned he couldn't have picked a better human being to be his Dad.

Both Burt and Hunt had been discharged from the Corps, Burt going on to open three garages in the Lima area, while Hunt had made the move into construction and had been successful in building himself a monopoly in the home renovation market in Lima. If your house needed renovating, Hunt Jackson had the know-how and the tools to do the job.

During the planning meetings everything seemed to be fine and Hunt had been attentive and friendly towards him if a little gruff. The big man was the same age as his Dad, a couple of inches taller and leaner however with a shock of blonde hair still cut in the style of a Marine like he'd never left the Corp.

Work had begun on putting in the damp-proofing and insulation shortly thereafter, Burt insisted that if his son was going to be sleeping in the basement that it was to be warmer and drier than a penthouse apartment. Sweeping up one evening after the construction team had been in all day spraying and injecting foam into the walls Kurt had begun to softly sing 'Mad About The Boy' to himself and to distract himself from the repetitive task he thought of Finn as he worked.

Unknown to him, Hunt hadn't yet gone home for the evening and was still working in the bathroom cutting out sections of copper pipe for the plumbing. Just as Kurt was about to go for the big finish, he turned to put the broom back in the corner when he spotted Hunt in the doorway an ugly scowl on his face.

Kurt voice died in his throat and he looked down and away from Hunt in embarrassment. Keeping his eyes diverted Kurt never saw the disgust on Hunt's face but he couldn't miss it when he opened his mouth harshly biting out each word like it hurt him to do it

"Boy why you singin' that god damn faggot song?"

Kurt had no response for the man and involuntarily he cringed and seemed to fold in on himself so as to make a smaller target. Hunt Jackson however wasn't a man who appreciated 'being sassed'; or in this case, asking a question and not getting an answer. Before Kurt had fully processed what had happened he was on the floor. His broom now forgotten clattered down beside him the handle making a hollow rapping noise on the concrete as it settled. Kurt raised a shaking hand to his face, a face which was well on it's way to developing a fist sized bruise on his right cheek.

"I asked you a question you little pussy" said Hunt aiming a couple of kicks at the smaller boy's ribs. The sound of a sharp crack could be heard and white hot agony flared in Kurt's side as the breath was knocked out of him momentarily.

Hunt was now looming over the small boy; a smirk on his face and a light of malice in his eyes that Kurt would never forget. Panic suffused Kurt, the pain in his chest and side faded into the background and a fog descended on his brain. All that was left of Kurt was base instinct _run, hide, danger, run, hide_.

Kurt had never been an athlete, he was certainly not going to be entering any track events in his future, but fight or flight combined with an adrenaline surge can do unexpected things to a person.

Kurt bolted.

Like a gazelle he was up and past Hunt and up the stairs to the main floor before Hunt could even process Kurt was no longer cowering in front of him. Kurt ran, and he kept running, lungs protesting furiously until he reached his Dad's garage. Barefoot and bleeding from stones he'd tracked over he kept going with a single-minded purpose.

The sight of the single light in the small office caused everything to come crashing down on Kurt all at once. Pain returned making the burning in his chest feel like hot pokers in his lungs, his feet felt like they'd been fed through a meat grinder but he kept up relentless pace. Realising the roller door was down and most likely locked for the night he didn't slow for an instant nonetheless. Reaching the door he hammered his small fists against the door, over and over and over again heedless of the fact he was scratching them up badly against the metal frame. He couldn't hear anything other than the pounding of blood in his ears, with fat tears rolling down his perfect pale skin, skin which now an ugly livid red welt on one side.

And then he was safe. The door he was pounding on was opened from the inside, and there backlit by the wash of light from the office was his Dad. No words were exchanged at first, the look of anguish on his Dad's face as he took in his son's appearance would haunt him for years to come. Only one word came to Kurt, the one word in all the world that would make things alright again. It was this word that broke the silence of the night around the pair,

"Daddy?" and then for Kurt everything went black...

* * *

He remembered waking up in the hospital room a little while later, his Dad sitting in the chair beside him, holding his hand and snoring softly. Kurt had tried to speak but the attempt had just resulted in a sharp hiss and an unbearable agony down his right side as his ribs protested furiously. The hiss was all it took to wake his Dad from his light slumber and the first thing he saw in his Dad's eyes was a myriad of emotions, love mixed with pity, mixed with anger.

Kurt turned his head away thinking his Dad was angry with him and knowing that he had every right to be. He wasn't the son his Dad wanted, he wasn't what his Father deserved and a part of Kurt hated himself for not being able to defend himself. To be the Son his Dad wanted and deserved. He could feel the tears starting to spill over again but he fought against them desperately.

"My baby boy", an anguished voice whispered and broke the barriers around Kurt as he turned back to his Dad to see tears glistening in eyes which looked so much like his own.

"I'm s-sorry Daddy" said Kurt tears once again running down his face, the salt stinging his cheek as they ran over a cut on his cheekbone. And it was at that moment that Burt did something that he'd never been comfortable doing before that point and had since worked hard on doing. He embraced his Son and let him cry himself to sleep on his shoulder.

There were questions after he'd woken up again of course, cops and social workers, the whole nine yards. By the time Kurt was released from the hospital with his ribs strapped up tight and enough Vicodin to last him a couple weeks, three days had gone by.

His Dad had barely left his side during those three days however he'd somehow managed to find and hire a new contractor, a rather attractive Spanish guy in his mid-twenties, who Burt had chosen specifically to do the conversion on the basis he was gay. When Burt had confessed why he'd hired Enrique, embarrassed to admit it to his son he'd called it _positive discrimination_. Kurt came to appreciate positive discrimination as Enrique was a sweet guy and was very accommodating of Kurt's neuroses and need for exacting precision.

* * *

Pulling up to the house, Kurt noted the lights were still off and his Dad's car wasn't yet in the drive. Pumping the brakes he came to a stop and switched off the engine, revelling in the opportunity to just close his eyes and rest his head against the cool wheel whilst listening to the staccato rhythm of the rain against the bodywork of his baby.

Kurt wasn't sure exactly how long he'd been still not trying to think or feel when he was startled by the sound of a sharp horn from another car close by. Looking up and spotting his Dad's car pulling into the drive, Kurt hopped from his baby, snagging his book bag from the seat beside him and quickly crossed the damp grass to the porch.

Fishing his keys from his pocket Kurt had just unlocked the door to the house when his Dad came up the steps behind him, his red plaid shirt looking rather sad in a droopy and soggy kind of way. Trying to protect his Dad from the fallout of his Son's sexuality had meant that Kurt was very well rehearsed in projecting false cheer into his voice.

"Hi Dad" he said with false enthusiasm hoping that for once his usually over-perceptive progenitor wouldn't notice his unhappiness. Quickly before his Dad could say anything Kurt hurried towards the basement stairs calling over his shoulder,

"I'll just put away my things and then get started on dinner".

As the door was swinging shut on the rest of the house Kurt heard his Dad's acknowledgement and the static hiss from the TV starting up as his Dad most likely switched to a station showing a football game. Then the sounds of life from the other side of the door faded away with a small click as the door settled into place.

Once in his basement Kurt felt a weight being lifted from his shoulders. This room, this sanctuary had been his one place of respite other than for Glee where he could let his guard down and truly be himself.

He stripped off his Marc Jacobs coat making sure to place it on the pile for the dry-cleaners he toed off his Kurt Geigers and padded in his socks through to his palatial bathroom.

The bathroom was a combination shower and bath with high pressure jets embedded in the wall of the shower for deep tissue massaging effect. Kurt had read up extensively on different showers, baths, whirlpools and jacuzzis and had in the end settled for a fairly utilitarian glass panelled walk in shower with high pressure jets and a sunken infinity bath big enough to easily accommodate four people in the corner.

Turning the faucet on the tub, Kurt plucked up his sandalwood bath crystals and chucked a healthy amount into the mix. The soothing aroma snaked around him as the steam built up in the room, Kurt's outline was now only barely visible in the bank of mirrors above the sink. This was what he wanted for tonight, to be anonymous.

Leaving the tub to fill, confident in the knowledge that it would never overflow, Kurt made his way back to his bedroom, stripping off clothing as he went, leaving him in just his boxers. He sat at his vanity and carefully removed all traces of his make-up before reaching into a drawer to remove a see through tub with green algae face-cream inside.

Taking his time and being careful not to miss an inch of skin, Kurt applied his face pack. Standing once more and reaching behind the door of the bathroom he snapped up his fluffy white bathrobe from the hook and wrapping the robe around himself he securely fastening it. Pausing for a second in the doorway of the bathroom he inhaled deeply again relishing the sandalwood aroma now infusing the air around him.

Realising that he'd promised to start dinner for his Dad, Kurt slipped his feet into a pair of fluffy slippers which matched his robe perfectly and climbed back up to the main level of the house.

He smiled fondly as he approached the door to the den seeing his Dad sprawled out on the couch with a game of football on the TV and a beer in his hand. Stopping in the frame of the door he asked his Dad what he'd like for dinner.

His Dad, engrossed with the game on the TV, half turned and squinted at Kurt, only to do a double take. He said nothing on his son's appearance and his only note of surprise was a quizzically raised eyebrow for which he received a puff of breath and a gentle glare in return.

"I'll call for a Pizza if I get hungry, you look like you're all set for a night at the Spa. Go do whatever you were going to do, the old man'll fend for himself".

A part of Kurt was sad to realise another night would go by without him spending any time with his Dad. The all too brief arrangement with Finn and Carole living in the house with them had given resulted in Burt and Finn bonding while watching football together. Since 'Faggygate' however, though Burt and Carole were still seeing each other, Carole and Finn were staying back at their own place. At least for now.

Kurt still felt guilty most of the time that it was his decorating taste that had caused the blow-up with Finn and the backwards step in the first serious relationship his Dad had had since his Mom had died. Almost as much as the set-back with Carole though, Kurt felt bad for his Dad for the loss of the chance to bond with another guy over football like he'd been doing with Finn up until that point. His Dad deserved that simple happiness, even if he wasn't the one able to provide it to him.

Nodding his head in acknowledgement of his Dad's statement, careful not to crack his face pack Kurt headed back towards the basement staircase and the tub which by now was issuing a sirens call. Just as he was about to go downstairs a quick rapping of the front door caused him to pause and turn towards it calling to his Dad

"I'll get it" so he didn't get up from his game. There was no point in disturbing him unnecessarily.

Peering through the peep hole Kurt could see the dark night and the sheets of rain beyond the porch. There was nobody in sight standing in front of the door however. Grumbling to himself, Kurt snapped the security chain off thinking it would probably be the neighbour kids again and another bag of flaming dog turd on the doormat.

Opening the door wide with a biting insult on his lips, his breath caught in his throat. Standing there backlit by a sudden flash of lightning and heralded by a deep rumble of thunder was Noah Puckerman. And he was soaked to the bone, his white tee clinging to him in ways that should be made illegal and with water drops glistening on his bronze skin.

"Uh... hi" said Puck, a sheepish grin on his face.

* * *

**A/N: Wow, that chapter was a bit of a ride. I had so much fun writing that so I hope you enjoy reading it as much. Having read back at what I'd done already I felt I'd built up Puck well enough but that I hadn't said much about Kurt. So hopefully this chappie will give a little bit more depth to the character. **

**Please review if you feel like it. Plot suggestions and comments are welcome too.**

**xoxo**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Uncle Raymond mentioned in passing in this chappie is mine though.**

**A/N: Well folks it's Day 5 and I'm starting on Chapter 5. That's not a bad turn around time now is it? This Chapter was really hard to get started and I've since worked out that having music on in the background, even if it is the Glee albums, isn't an aid to my concentration. ;-p**

**This chapter will be from Puck's perspective and I apologise ahead of time if I've been unable to get Mercedes right. For some reason every time I go to write dialogue for the girl, I hear Gary Coleman (R.I.P.) in my head saying "What you talkin' bout Willis?". It's very disturbing, especially as I've never seen an episode of Different Strokes.**

**Chapter 5 – The Best Laid Plans Of Monster Trucks and Men...**

* * *

After Mr Schue had announced the pairings and the assignment which would take them through until Spring Break, he broke up the meeting to allow the various pairings to start working on their projects immediately.

Looking around the room Puck could clearly spot the difference between those who were enthusiastic about their pairings and those who were not. Puck rolled his eyes when he noted that both Santana and Mercedes had immediately pounced on their respective partners like hungry wolves. There was a part of Puck that felt genuine pity for his fellow football players; they genuinely had no clue what was going to happen to them over the next three weeks. Puck likened it to a monster truck rally where the bigger truck picks up the small car in it's jaws and crushes it while snorting fire. And yeah, in case you were wondering, Santana is definitely the big-ass truck that breathes fire. '_Hot damn those were some fun times.'_

Rachel had dragged Brittany over to the piano and was already knee-deep in sheet music, discarding reams of paper much faster than she could possibly be processing it, much to the silent horror of Brad who Puck realised would probably have to clear up after their resident prima donna was done. Brittany it appeared had pulled our her cell and was in the middle of going to call someone. The identity of that someone became apparent just seconds later when 'Turkey in the Straw' came blaring from Santana's cell while she was mid-conversation with Mike over song choices.

Puck looked on in amusement as Santana didn't miss a beat and answered her cell, without taking her eyes off Mike. _Probably in case he tries to make a run for it _Puck thought with a chuckle. His amusement was complete when Santana did a double take when she heard the voice on the line in both ears at once.

"Sanny, I don't want to work with Rachel. She already won't let me sing Beauty and the Beast and you know how much I wanted to be the Beast".

Rachel's face fell realising the strong feelings she was engendering in her partner and decided to offer an olive branch to the blonde girl,

"OK Britt, how about we sing When You Believe? That's a Disney song and I can totally pull off the vocal performance required."

Brittany's eyes crossed momentarily as if to suggest she was working on a particularly hard math problem before her face blossomed into a smile of pure joy.

"I loved The Prince of Egypt, oh this is going to be so much fun!" she squealed as she began clapping her hands and hopping up and down. A look of extreme relief could be seen on Rachel's face as it started to sink in to the girl just how close she'd come to a major meltdown with the blonde.

Realising that she was still connected to Santana, Brittany put the phone back up to her ear and announced,

"Never mind Sanny. I think things are going to work out just fine. Sorry I changed your ringtone again. Love you".

Without waiting for a response, the girl snapped shut her cell and placed it back on the piano. Puck could have sworn he'd seen a calculating smirk on Britt's face but in the split second he'd seen it, it had been wiped clean and the usual ditzy blonde persona was firmly back in place.

_'Nah, she couldn't have! Could she? She played Rachel! She totally did!'_

Looking at the faces around him he noted that he seemed to be the only one to have any suspicions. That was until he locked eyes with Kurt from across the room who was looking at Britt with the same quizzical expression he imagined was on his own face.

In that moment a silent communication took place between them as he tilted his head in the direction of the piano as it to ask '_Did you see what I saw?'_

The response from Kurt was a single raised eyebrow and a snort of amusement.

_'Yeah, Kurt had definitely seen it too._ _Wait... who seduced who last month then? Nah, wait, I'm still a stud so that was totally all me.'_

He'd keep a closer eye on the blonde from now on though just to be sure.

* * *

Realising that he'd better speak with Kurt, 'g_od damn-it Puckerman, his name's Hummel'_, he stood and crossed the room to throw himself bonelessly into the seat vacated by Aretha just moments earlier.

Sitting this close to Hummel again gave him inspiration and so he asked the smaller boy "So any thoughts on song selection?" Expecting that the smaller boy would have dozens of selections in mind he didn't wait for the answer and ploughed on with the jab he'd intended to land from the start of the conversation.

"Oh and would you like fries with that?"

Puck smiled in satisfaction to note Hummel's mouth snap shut, his answer long forgotten and for the blush to return like it had earlier that morning. '_Maybe being nicer to Hummel won't be that much of a task after all.'_

He pondered this conclusion while the smaller boy regained his equilibrium and instead of replying verbally reached into his bag to retrieve his iPod. The smaller boy then offered it to Puck with a muttered admission that he hadn't been listening and didn't know what the assignment was supposed to be.

Puck took the iPod from his outstretched palm, a bright pink iPod Touch as he'd always expected it would be, and started to scroll through the available selections. Looking back up at the pale skinned boy he raised an eyebrow commenting on the sheer volume of music contained on the little device. Puck didn't own an iPod and so he'd had limited exposure to the gadget. He had his CDs and he was quite happy with vinyl most of the time. He understood now however how useful one of those little gizmos could be, especially in a Glee club such as theirs.

As if sensing his train of thought, Hummel answered the unspoken question,

"There's 14,000 songs on there, I'm sure there's something that'll fit the assignment. What is the assignment anyway?"

Distracted by flicking through the songs, skipping things he didn't recognise like Cleo Laine and Idina Menzel, in an unguarded moment Puck replied without looking up at the smaller boy

"We've to sing a duet with full choreography, the themes are either loss, love or hope."

When there was no response from the smaller boy, Puck looked up at him only to see him looking off into middle distance with a glazed look in his eye. Straightening up he turned to see what had taken Hummel's attention from their conversation only to see his former best-friend with Tina flicking through her iPod much as he and Hummel were doing right now.

Realising the reason for the silent staring Puck couldn't help but want to burst that particular bubble,

"Give it up Hummel, he's never going to _want_ you like you _want_ him".

The smaller boy started as if he'd forgotten Puck was sitting beside him and replied in a shaken attempt at nonchalance,

"I don't know what you're talking about".

As if to try to enhance his argument, the smaller boy plucked the iPod from his larger hand and focused intently on it's screen, flicking through options with a practiced ease.

Resting back in the chair once again, Puck found himself just watching Hummel go about his work. He'd expected that the smaller boy's natural flamboyance would lead to exaggerated gestures and behaviours in keeping with stereotypes. But to his surprise, Hummel's movements were economic, precise and swift – graceful he supposed in a weird sort of way. Like a hummingbird in flight.

It was the same kind of grace the smaller boy displayed when he picked himself up after a dumpster dive or a slushie facial. That momentary loss of confidence before he reaffirmed himself and pushed on.

Puck groaned and ran a tired hand over his face at the direction his thoughts had taken him on the past day. '_I'm doing way too much thinking, I'm going to pop an aneurysm or something.'_

Obviously responding to the groan he realised Kurt had placed a hand on his thigh and was trying to get his attention. '_The kid must think I'm sick or something.'_Shaking himself from his clouded thoughts he jerked his leg away from the boy's hand as if he'd been burned.

Drawing his hand back, the expression of Hummel's face was one of unadulterated loathing as he hissed,

"Don't worry, you can't catch it!" and proceeded to thrust his iPod back into his bag and storm from the room.

Slumping in defeat, though he had no idea how or what he'd apparently lost, Puck closed his eyes until the loud slam of the Choir Room door jolted them open again. '_Drama queen!'_

Deciding that if his partner wasn't going to be helping to pick a song he could get some time in at the gym, he went to pick up his bag and leave himself when his path crossed with an obviously enraged Aretha.

"Do I have to go all Bobby Brown on your ass white-boy? Don't think I won't." she said squaring up to him. Raising his hands in mock surrender Puck replied

"Chillax Aretha, your _boy_ is fine. Get on up out of my grill." he seriously had no patience for the girl right now, not when his gut was playing up again. Roughly shoving past her and out the door, he heard her shouting

"Aw hell to the naw..." and the unmistakable sound of someone restraining the girl from coming after him. He couldn't care less right now, he needed to speak to Quinn.

* * *

Puck had taken his time driving home to allow himself to cool off so when he pulled up outside his Mom's place and spotted that Q's car was in the drive the relief was palpable. The rain had come like the forecasters had predicted just moments after he'd stormed from the Choir Room. It was a timely reminder to him to get his truck to a garage as the driver's side window had stuck in the 'down' position and the longer he had driven the more soaked to the bone he'd become.

Giving up on a bad job, Puck abandoned his truck outside the house and trudged across the sodden grass to the porch door. He went inside the empty kitchen, remembering to wipe his feet on the mat; his Mom would have had his hide if he'd forgotten; and as the door closed behind him he toed off his sneakers.

Peeling his shirt off he squelched over to the sink in his socks to wring out his shirt, listening to the telltale sound of the TV in the front room playing what sounded like one of those weepie chick films from the 40's that Q was so fond of. His suspicions were confirmed a moment later when a watery voice drifted in over the sound of orchestral strings and flowery English accented declarations of undying love,

"Puck, is that you? Could you bring me some ding-dongs please your baby is hungry".

Though they'd agreed that the baby would be given up for adoption when she was born, Q wasn't above using emotional blackmail on Puck to make him do menial tasks while she was pregnant. After her Dad had proven to be a complete ass-clown, he'd offered her a place to stay. Though she'd initially refused and stayed with Finn, once Babygate came to a head, she'd meekly asked him if the offer still stood when Carole Hudson had asked her to leave. He packed her things up himself that afternoon and she'd been living with him ever since. With those big sad eyes and that evil pouty lip she could pretty much get him to do anything she wanted.

Though he'd probably do most things for his 'baby-momma' he drew the line at rising to her attempts to find him a new nickname. He recalled her suggestion of 'teddy bear' one evening while they were relaxed on the couch watching ANTM with her snuggled up to his side.

He'd done a passable impression of Aretha's 'hell to the naw' that night that had left Q with a severe case of the giggles. Ever since then she'd been teasing him to replace the mohawk with an afro. Where they'd once been lovers, the initial passion had fizzled away to leave a strong platonic friendship between the pair. Surprisingly it was something that Puck found himself cherishing more and more each day.

* * *

Retrieving the sugary snack food from the cupboard he grabbed a diet soda for himself and headed towards the unmistakable sound of weeping.

Quinn was curled up on the end of the sofa, a box of tissues in her hands, dabbing furiously at her eyes. Each time she'd finish with a tissue she'd crumple it up and throw it at the TV, a task she'd clearly taken to with a vengeance as the floor in front of the TV was a sea of white tissue-paper.

Leaning over the arm of the couch, Puck placed a kiss on top of Q's head and dangled the bag of ding-dongs just out of reach. She chuckled at the by play and swiped at the bag like a kitten with a piece of string.

Finally with a huff she gave up trying to get the ding-dongs and pulled out the evil pouty lip. Her satisfied grin a moment later while she was tearing open the wrapping left Puck wondering exactly when he'd descended into this strange domestic situation he had going on. '_Sometimes it was just better to go with the flow and not think about it'._

* * *

Not sitting down himself he told Q he was going to take a shower and made his way up to the first floor and his bedroom. His Mom's house wasn't some massive palace with en-suite bathrooms going spare. It was certainly nothing like the Fabray's home at the edge of town. A modest four bedroom house with a bathroom and a wash room downstairs meant that space for the four and half people living there was at a premium.

Things had improved slightly the last week or so what with his Mom and Sarah being away in Utah at his Uncle Raymond's ranch. Sarah was a talented dancer and she and her troupe were performing as part of some national schools community project based in Salt Lake City for the next month. For his Mom, getting the chance to see her brother for the first time since Puck was seven years old was just the icing on the cake.

Stripping off his jeans proved to be a more difficult task than Puck first imagined. They were soaked through and stuck to his skin like glue. Eventually with some struggle, muttered cursing and one hugely embarrassing face plant that he'd deny ever happened, he'd managed to get down to his underwear.

Snagging a fresh towel from the laundry, he switched the shower on, setting the temperature just that little bit higher than he considered comfortable. Slipping out of his underwear and into the spray he sighed in relief while he allowed his mind to wander.

Since Q had discovered she was pregnant Puck had been re-evaluating his life and had realised that he didn't really like who he had become. During one of their early arguments, brought on by his offering to help financially and Q refusing his assistance, she'd called him a 'skanky man whore' and told him to keep his money for his pimp.

Initially he'd brushed it off as hormonal anger but the longer he thought about it the more he realised that for all her faults, Q might have had a point. Since he'd first thought of girls in a more than 'punch-them-in-the-arm-and-run-away' kind of way he'd tried to prove that he was all man through the number of conquests he could make. His pool cleaning business had been nothing more than a means to an end of getting close to rich, lonely older women to satisfy some desire within him to be considered the stud he always professed to be.

Truth be told, though Puck knew he was a badass, and he'd mess anyone up who said otherwise, there was a part of Puck that was still the six year old boy watching his Dad storm out the door, get into his truck; an old beat up Ford truck at that; and drive away never to return. He was determined that he wouldn't be repeating the performance with Q as his Mom and him as his Dad. Sighing he squeezed out some shampoo for his mohawk and busied himself washing up. _What would the world think if they knew Noah Puckerman had Daddy issues?_

* * *

Finally finished up with his shower, clean shaven and dressed in his grey sweats and a white tee he headed back downstairs to the kitchen. Entering the room he smelled the aroma of tomatoes and herbs cooking and spying a pizza in the oven he smiled. _Q will make some guy really happy some day._

Checking the timer on the pizza he headed towards the TV and sat down in the middle of the couch. Allowing Q to shift position and snuggle up against him he slung an arm over her shoulder and squeezed gently.

Quinn was one of the most observant people he'd ever met in his entire life, he didn't even realise she'd spoken at first until she'd repeated her question and shifted her head to his lap to look up at him with a shy smile playing on her lips.

"You're still upset aren't you? Santana text me what happened at Glee after I left. Do you want to talk about it? Personally I think I'd bet on you to take Aretha in a straight up fight though Santana says otherwise".

This caused Puck to snort in amusement and a smile blossomed on Quinn's face knowing she'd been the cause. Collecting himself he relayed what had happened during Glee, what he'd said and how he didn't think he'd done anything wrong. Certainly nothing he hadn't done a hundred times before.

"You didn't do anything _bad_Noah". Puck liked it when Q called him Noah. He wasn't the same person as the Puck with whom she'd slept to create their baby. The distinction was comforting for the both of them.

"I do think you have to apologise to Kurt though. You may not have intended to hurt his feelings but clearly you did and if you have to work with him for Glee you're going to need his cooperation".

Switching off the TV as the end credits rolled on the film and the kitchen timer went off signalling Quinn's pizza was now ready, she hauled herself into a standing position, wrapped her arms around him and gave him another hug.

"Go fix this Noah. You'll never sleep otherwise. I'll save you some pizza. Goodnight". And with that she padded off in the direction of the kitchen and her dinner.

* * *

Puck didn't know how long he'd sat in the dark with the only illumination from the street lamp outside, he could hear the sound of the rain on the roof and the occasional thump from Quinn as she got ready for bed.

Finally with determination he hopped up from the couch, snatched up his keys and slipped his soggy sneakers back on with a grimace. He was going to go and speak to Hummel. No _Kurt_. He was going to speak to _Kurt_ and he was going to make this right.

He drove most of the way to the Hummel's house in silence, the only sounds the pounding of the rain on the hood and the squeaking of the wiper blade which clearly needed to be replaced. Finally spotting his quarry, a crash of thunder masked the backfire from his truck as he came to a stop a short distance from the house, spotting the shiny black Navigator parked up outside.

_'Abandon all hope all ye who enter here' _he thought wryly to himself, Dante's Inferno springing to mind at the thought of what was surely to come. He Noah Puckerman was going to prostrate himself in front of Kurt Hummel and beg for forgiveness.

Steeling himself he knocked and waited off to the side, knowing if Kurt were to see him through the spy hole before he opened the door that he'd most likely be dead in the water before he began. He could hear a high-pitched voice shouting from inside and the security chain being unlatched as he moved back in front of the door.

A flash of lightning illuminated the porch as the light from inside the house spilled out to meet it and a deep rumble of thunder heralded the approach of his quarry. There standing in front of him, in a white bathrobe and fluffy slippers was Kurt. And he appeared to be doing some kind of twisted Jim Carrey impersonation.

"Uh... hi" said Puck, a sheepish grin on his face.

* * *

**A/N: Yay! Here we are again. Major heart to heart fluffiness abounding shortly I think! Oh I'm totally stoked writing this story and so this is my biggest chapter to date.**

**Thanks goes out to Debraelq who went back and reviewed my individual chappies to make me more popular *hug* **

**On a more serious note however please do take the time to review, even if it's just to tell me that you don't like the characters, the writing style, whatever. If you tell me what you like/dislike I can try to tailor future chappies to match.**

**x0x0**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: A big thank you to Bobbydoll for the review. I'm glad you like the story so far. At the time of starting to write this chapter it's just over 6 hours since posting Ch.5 and I'm back already stuck into Ch.6. **

**X0x0x**

**Chapter 6 – The One Where Puck Shivers**

* * *

"Eep" was the only word in Kurt's vocabulary at that moment as he panicked and slammed the door in Puck's face with excessive force. Turning his back to the door, he leaned against the cold wood trying desperately to stop his heart from bursting from his chest. _Oh god, oh god, oh god. Of all the people to see me in this state why him?_

Burt appeared in the doorway of the den a moment later, curiosity etched on his features as he looked to his son who had yet to stop hyperventilating.

"Who was it?" he asked with his initial curiosity morphing into concern having taken in his son's spooked expression.

"Puck" said Kurt in between ragged breaths, watching as his Dad's expression changed into one of anger knowing that this Puck kid was one of his son's biggest tormentors. Burt pulled himself up to his full height and laid a hand on his son's shoulder, giving it a small squeeze,

"You go on back to your room Kurt, let me handle this".

Kurt wasn't in the right mind to argue at that moment and he shakily nodded his head before making his escape down the basement stairs.

Opening the front door once again, Burt peered out to see a silhouette of a figure perched on the love-seat in the corner with what looked like a guitar case at his feet.

Reaching inside the door Burt flicked a switch, bringing on a strip halogen porch lights and causing Puck to squint against the sudden glare.

"Would you care to explain why you think it's acceptable to come to my home and harass my son?" said Burt, eyes narrowed and his large arms crossed over his chest. He was clearly not going to give an inch of quarter to the interloper.

Still seeing spots but with his eyes now starting to clear from the momentary blindness, Puck realised that the vague outline he'd seen previously wasn't Kurt, but rather it was his rather large and very intimidating Dad.

Stumbling to his feet, Puck stood using his guitar case as a shield in front of the larger man.

"Uh... Mr Hummel sir, hi. I'm Noah Puckerman" he offered his hand in a futile gesture, as the gruff man just raised an eyebrow at the attempt at civility and made no attempt to shake it.

_So that's where Kurt inherited the whole eyebrow thing from huh? _he thought as he nervously ran his hand through his mohawk in agitation.

Puck may have considered himself top dog, but that was top dog amongst the puppies of McKinley High. The man standing before him right now however wasn't a puppy, he was an attack dog. The man before him, Puck knew, was a former Marine who was probably trained in more ways to maim him with a blunt spoon than he could ever imagine.

"I know who you are" said Burt with a frosty tone not shifting from his position barring the door.

_Oh right that's not good... Plan B. Shit what's Plan B!_

Puck could feel himself starting to panic, the barely concealed anger in the older man's eyes was starting to get to him and he was feeling the need to run. Badly.

_Stupid Q and her stupid ideas. 'Fix this Noah'. Yeah OK Q, Abra-freaking-cadabra. Shit he's looking at me like he's trying to figure out which eyeball to scoop out my head first!_

Just as he'd resolved to plead with the the older man to just let him leave, regardless of how pathetic it might make him look, salvation came in the form of a high-pitched voice in the doorway behind Burt.

"It's alright Dad, I'll take care of this now, go on back to your game. I think the third half or something is about to start...".

Puck couldn't help but snort in amusement which earned himself a glare from Burt. For all his time as a member of the football team Kurt had never gotten completely au fait with the rules. Looking now at Kurt for the first time since his reappearance, Puck noted that he was still clad in his fluffy slippers and robe but was now minus the green mask he'd had on when he'd first answered the door. The soprano's clear skin was sparkling with droplets of water which confirming to Puck that he'd obviously run off to remove the paint or whatever it was that was on his face before.

Looking down and away, scuffing his toe against the decking Puck couldn't bear to look as Burt shifted his attention to his son and the dangerous look that had been directed at him was replaced love. Since his Dad had skipped out on them, interactions between Fathers and sons had always been a bit of an uncomfortable thing for Puck to watch,

_It's not like I would know anything about that kind of thing now is it? Maybe that's why I got on so well with Finn as a kid, he didn't have his Dad around either so there was no chance of feeling awkward. _

Squashing his ill-timed introspection Puck tuned back into the byplay between Burt and Kurt,

"You're sure son?" Puck could feel himself cringe at the obvious concern in the older man's voice for his child's well-being,

"I'm sure Dad, Puck won't hurt me, will you Puck?" said Kurt looking to him for the first time since returning to the doorway. Meeting his eyes Puck could only think of one thing that he wanted to say,

"Noah. Call me Noah and no I won't hurt you."

If Kurt was surprised by the reply he didn't show it and simply moved aside in the doorway motioning for his Dad to head back to the den. Burt did so reluctantly like a dog who'd been shown a juicy steak but told he was not allowed to eat it.

Turning back to the pair before disappearing completely, Burt left his final words hanging ominously in the air,

"I'll be just a few feet away Kurt so you holler if you need me." Burt's piercing gaze seared right to Puck's soul and he couldn't maintain eye contact with the older man.

As Kurt stepped out onto the porch letting the door swing shut behind him, Puck watched as he cinched his robe tighter against the storm. Tilting his head to the side and looking straight at Puck he asked the question that Puck himself been trying to answer for the last half hour,

"What do you want Pu... Noah? We got rid of the lawn furniture after you and your buddies nailed it to the roof. Would you like to borrow some toilet paper to tee-pee the house again?"

The voice was soft but Puck flinched at the reminder of past wrongs he'd committed against the small soprano. He couldn't bring himself to look at Kurt who had not moved an inch.

Whisper quiet; so quiet he was amazed Kurt had heard him; he began

"I don't know what I want right now other than the chance to explain." He looked to Kurt meeting his eyes and pleading with the smaller boy to give him a chance. Receiving a nod in return, Puck relaxed slightly and directed an honest smile at Kurt. Probably one of the few he'd ever directed at the gay kid his entire life. Taking a deep breath he took a moment to organise his thoughts while Kurt looked on impassively.

_'Just tell him the truth Noah.' s_ang Quinn's voice in his head.

Steeling himself Noah began to speak softly, the words drifting on the wind,

"I do know what I want".

He met Kurt's eyes again as he tried to will the boy to believe he was being sincere.

"I want to say that I'm sorry Kurt. For everything. All of it. I've been horrible to you for so long it got be routine. I'd say things and do things that would hurt you and I didn't care." Kurt flinched at the admission but Puck ploughed on, he had to get this all out now or he never would.

"At first I told myself it was because you were 'different'" he said raising quotation marks in the air as he gave a wry chuckle," but... and this is going to sound so self-centred - it was all about me and it goes back long before you and I ever met".

After what seemed like an age Kurt's eyes softened and he nodded to Puck to continue,

"My Dad skipped town on us when I was six" he said eyes now tracing the grain of wood on the door rather than meet his counterparts eyes any longer,

"I... I idolised him, he was my Dad y'know? The one guy in the world who could fix anything. And then one day he was just gone... He didn't say goodbye and he's never called or written since. My Mom took it hard I guess, she kept fighting to keep it together for me and my baby sister but even at seven I could see the strain and I could hear her some nights crying in her room." Puck's voice hitched as he talked about his Mom and he had to take a moment to hold back the emotion from overwhelming him,

"She said to me one time 'you're the man of the house now Noah', I was maybe ten or eleven. I don't blame my Mom, it was her way of letting me know that my Dad wasn't coming back I think. I didn't know at the time though what being man of the house meant so I did the best job I could. I looked after my Mom and sister. I got a part-time job at the bowling alley on weekends so my sister could have the pretty princess clothes and all the toys she deserved. And I tried to become the man my Mom obviously needed me to be. And so as I got to be a bit older, Puck was born. I quit my job at the bowling alley and switched to pool cleaning and became 'The Stud With The Guns'. With the ladies all lining up to ride Puckzilla. The whole thing with Q and the baby wasn't part of the plan though. Quinn's too sweet a girl to get dragged down to the same level as me. She definitely got a raw deal, she deserves better and I hope she finds it someday. But at the time it was all what being the man of the house was all about wasn't it?" He snorted at that and shook his head,

"I'm sorry I'm rambling... I treated you so bad cos you were an easy target. Pick on the gay kid, make him as miserable as I was inside myself. Cos I hate myself, I hate what I've done and what I've become and sometimes its enough to make me want to rage at the world."

By the end of his speech Noah's face was crumpled up in misery and he had his head in his hands. A soft voice broke him from his revelry,

"Thank you Noah. You've been so horrible to me for so long" Puck's face fell at that but Kurt wasn't finished,

"I think... I think if you are serious about being sorry" Kurt could clearly see tears glistening in the other boy's eyes, "then I'm willing to forgive you".

Hearing Kurt use his first name was a novel experience for Noah. A pleasant warmth suffused his shivering limbs at the sound of the boys voice causing him to slump back down onto the love-seat, guitar case long forgotten.

Realising the silence between them was stretching, he put voice to the first thing that popped into his head.

"You looked like the Incredible Gay Hulk dude." Noah jumped slightly as another crash of thunder rumbled overhead. _God I hate thunderstorms. Daddy issues, fear of thunder... holy crap I'm messed up in the head._

Noah was distracted by a quiet giggling coming from the smaller boy and looked at him quizzically,

"Daddy issues Noah? Oh and you're definitely messed up in the head" said Kurt looking down at the seated boy the sparkle of humour returning to his eyes. Noah was the one to blush this time as he realised his internal monologue wasn't quite as internal as he'd thought.

Kurt couldn't help but wonder why after everything that had happened today, being alone with the other boy on the porch in the rain felt... so completely natural.

Spotting the gentle tremors running through the obviously soaked football player Kurt realised he had a decision to make.

_'Do I send him away or do I invite him in from the cold? Will Dad let him in for that matter?'_

Realising there was really only one way to find out Kurt sighed in resignation as he looked down at Noah realising that soaking wet and shivering he cut a rather pathetic figure really,

"You must be freezing Noah. You'd better come in and get warmed up".

Puck just looked up at the soprano as if trying to process what he'd just said and didn't really believe it.

"You want me to go in _there_?" he asked making no attempt to hide his obvious distaste at the thought.

Kurt's face twisted again into a familiar look of disdain undoing all the good work of the evening as he spat,

"Fine don't go in _there_! Sit out here and catch pneumonia for all I care. It's just a house Puck it won't infect you with my deviance."

Realising the error he'd made and that Kurt had called him Puck again; he'd obviously hit another nerve on the small soprano, he ran his tongue over his teeth as he exhaled forcefully,

"That's not what I meant Hummel" said Noah slipping back into familiar patterns... "I mean Kurt... It... your Dad is in... _there_ and he clearly means to rip my head off the first chance he gets". Noah shuddered theatrically before adding,

"And I don't know about you, but I kinda like my head on my shoulders, it's one of my best features after my washboard abs". A small amount of colour came back to Noah's face as he tried to lighten the obvious tension on the little porch in the middle of the storm.

For once a look of contrition appeared on the smaller boy's face as he rolled his eyes at the jock's theatrics muttering to himself,

"And to think they call me a drama queen".

Sighing he picked up the boy's surprisingly heavy guitar case and made to go back inside, the wind was whipping up and the draught was getting to him under his robe.

He couldn't help but giggle as he heard Noah yelp behind him that his leg had gone to sleep as he tried to shake it out and keep up with the soprano at the same time. Kurt opened the front door and led the way into the warmth of the house. Noah followed obediently muttering under his breath 'Once more unto the breach'.

Recognising the quote, Kurt couldn't help but wonder what other hidden depths the football player had that nobody knew about. Perhaps in time he'd get to find out.

* * *

**A/N: Oh boy that was ten times tougher to write than any other chapter thus far. I'm still not happy with the interaction between Noah and Kurt but I don't think I'm going to get it any better.  
**

**Credit goes to Shakespeare for the line from Henry V. **

**Please review and let me know what you think.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: I got a bit down on myself trying to write the last chapter – I had an idea in my head for what I wanted to do and I still don't think I achieved it.**

**There's some full frontal nudity in this chapter (Yay!) so if that offends you... then you're a weirdo for reading slash fiction – ha! :-)**

**X0x0x**

**Chapter 7 – Meeting Noah and Not-So-Little Noah**

* * *

As the door closed behind Noah he stood in the entrance hall and examined Kurt's house. He had to admit that it was nothing like what he'd imagined, but then he supposed that Burt had a large role in deciding how the house was decorated. Still it wasn't the kind of house you would imagine someone like Kurt would live in at all.

"There's so much beige" he muttered to no one, earning a raised eyebrow from Kurt who was re-locking the front door and replacing the security chain.

"Wait here. I'm going to go speak to my Dad and make sure he doesn't kill you on sight OK?" said Kurt. There was no hint of irony in his voice or expression which didn't help to alleviate Noah's nerves in the slightest.

Realising that he had little choice in the matter Noah could only nod like an obedient puppy at the smaller boy and watch as he hurried away.

Standing still in the entrance hall Noah was starting to feel the chill through his wet clothing and he started to shiver. Deciding that keeping still was definitely a bad idea he started to move about the entrance hall, shaking his limbs and flexing his fingers in an attempt to get some heat into his body and feeling back in his extremities.

After a couple of minutes pacing in the small space, Noah decided to explore in the opposite direction from where Kurt had headed as he found himself wandering through an archway into what seemed to be a study or sewing room. The room was softly lit with walls of dark green and gold trim. There were bookshelves running the length of the wall on his right opposite a large green couch in front of a currently unlit fireplace.

Examining the titles on the bookshelves Noah noted tomes by Keats, Byron and Chaucer alongside others by Cartland, Woolff and Plath. All were writers Noah was familiar with by name if not by work thanks to his Mom's library habit. She'd tried to encourage Noah to read from an early age but he'd always been discouraged from trying as the words tended to get jumbled. The Doctor called it dyslexia but his Dad had called it retardation. It was just yet another reason why Oren Puckerman was an asshole.

Everything in the room was perfectly positioned and meticulously dusted but there was something about the room that made Noah think of a shrine or a tomb. Feeling like an unwelcome visitor to something private he made to return to the entrance hall only to find Kurt leaning against the archway just studying him. He volunteered the answer to the unasked question,

"This was my Mother's library. She used to light a fire on cold nights and pick a book from the case to read to me while I lay on the rug in front of the couch and listened. She loved to read and I used to love listening to the sound of her voice... We don't use this room much anymore."

Noah nodded to the smaller boy having had his intuition proven correctly,

"I'm sorry Kurt, I didn't mean to..." Kurt waved off his apology however and motioned for him to follow him.

Walking behind the smaller boy Noah couldn't help but notice that the sound from the den had been muted and had to ask,

"So is your Dad going to kill me in my sleep?" he said jokingly.

Though Kurt didn't turn round he could hear the smile in his voice as he shot back,

"What makes you so certain you'll be sleeping with me Noah?"

Noah couldn't help the involuntary blush that suffused his cheeks but some of the badass that was Puck was still in the boy.

"Come off it Hummel, I'm still a stud. You know you want this." The effect however was muted somewhat when Kurt looked back over his shoulder at the taller boy only for his eyes to widen and for him to stop in surprise at something on Noah's face.

"What?" he asked "I know I'm awesome looking but you really don't have to stare!" joked Noah trying to inject a little humour given the not so encouraging expression on the smaller boy's face.

Shaking himself from his contemplation, Kurt shook his head before whispering,

"Noah, your lips are blue".

"Oh".

Noah had no answer for that, he was cold and wet sure but his body was pretty much numb by this point.

Coming to a decision and without realising what he was doing, Kurt snatched up Noah's hand and began tugging him more insistently down the corridor towards the basement stairs.

"I was planning to have a long soak before you interrupted tonight but it looks like you'll make better use of the tub right now than I will." Hurriedly punching in his access code on the door lock he led Noah down the stairs and into his bedroom, breaking away to go check on the tub.

"Now this is more like it" said Noah looking around the stylishly decorated and minimalistic basement level from where he'd been left leaning against the handrail at the bottom of the stairs. From the whitewashed walls and plush white carpet to the egg shaped hanging-chair thing in the corner everything in the room just seemed to fit the small soprano.

"I know, you probably think everything's 'faggy' right? I know Finn did." came the disembodied voice from the bathroom as the sound of running water shut off. As if expecting to find Noah nodding in agreement to that statement when he returned the soprano was concerned to find the taller boy shivering so hard he was almost convulsing and with a glazed look in his eyes.

Crossing the room to stand in front of him, Kurt again took up the larger boy's hand and led him to the bathroom.

"The tub is ready, I've made it warmer than I usually would but I think you'll probably need that. There's shampoos and conditioners on the rack and I'll set a towel down by the sink for you when you're done."

Trying to focus on the words coming from Kurt's mouth, Noah nodded in understanding not trusting his voice at the moment. Turning away from him, Kurt went to the cabinet under the sink and retrieved a thick white towel which he folded and laid out by the sink.

Not really thinking about what he was doing but realising that he was expected to get into the water, Noah had already begun to strip off his clothing. His shirt and sweats were now pooled at his feet and as the soprano turned to face him again he was shocked to see that he was standing in front of the him in just his underwear.

"Oh" said Kurt in surprise, being unable to stop himself from raking his eyes over the expanse of flesh now on display. _Get a grip of yourself Kurt, he's clearly sick right now, probably from pneumonia or something – he doesn't need you drooling over his body. His abs are out of this world though _

Distracted by his wandering lustful thoughts, Kurt resorted to sarcasm to try to cover his indiscretion,

"Love-hearts Noah, really?" commenting on the pattern on the taller boy's boxer shorts.

Though not completely with it but realising he was being teased by the smaller boy Noah gave as good as he got,

"Unless you want a show Hummel you'd better clear out cos I'm not stopping." As the last word left Noah's mouth he dropped his boxers to his ankles and stood grinning like a loon in front of the smaller boy as naked as the day he was born.

Noah's grin grew even more as he looked at the slack jawed expression on the soprano's face and couldn't help landing one more dig,

"Hey... earth to Kurt" he said waving his hand in front of the boy's face drawing Kurt's gaze upwards and away from his exposed manhood, "my eyes are up here dude".

Turning beet red Kurt stammered a hurried apology, scurried to collect up the wet clothing and fled the bathroom like the hounds of hell were at his heels.

Noah chuckled and climbed into the bath letting out a sigh as the hot water soothed and rejuvenated his tired body.

* * *

Some forty minutes later found Noah still lying in the tub dozing softly with his head propped up on a soft spongy thing he'd found on one of the racks. The smell of sandalwood permeated the air and he had to admit it was kind of nice. It wasn't a girly fragrance at all, he actually quite liked it. The time in the water had done Noah the power of good and his thoughts were no longer as muddled as they had been previously.

He'd checked himself every few minutes initially and was relieved to see that his lips no longer had a blue tinge to them and he could feel all ten fingers and toes again.

Considering his behaviour during the last hour and realising that he'd exposed himself to the gay kid, Noah cursed. _He tries to help me when I'm unable to help myself and I flash him for his trouble. Good going Puckerman you idiot!_

Sighing in irritation he sunk soundlessly beneath the surface of the tub.

While submerged Noah failed to notice the soft knock on the bathroom door or spot the head of dark hair that peeked around the edge.

Noah was enjoying the sensory deprivation of being underwater when his serenity was shattered by a pair of surprisingly strong arms wrapping around his torso and yanking him from the tub and out onto the hard tile floor.

Lying on his side coughing and spluttering, Noah righted himself and sat up while trying to get his bearings only to hear a high pitched screeching coming from somewhere above him. Looking up Noah saw a now soaking wet Kurt standing over him with a furious expression on his face and his hand on his hip. _Uh-oh_

"What the hell were you thinking Noah falling asleep in the tub, you could have drowned!" It took a moment for Noah to process what Kurt had said and when he did he couldn't help but laugh.

Laughing was obviously the worst thing he could have done at that moment as the next thing he knew he was lying flat on his back cradling his nose.

"By dose, you punched by dose Hubbel" he said stating the obvious while trying to stem the trickle of blood.

"I'll do much worse than that Noah Puckerman" said Kurt still fuming but also hopping from foot to foot while cradling his abused knuckles. Kurt's hair was now wild and choppy and his robe was gaping at the neck having gotten markedly heavier when it took on water from the tub. A red tinge coloured his pale skin from his collarbone to below his jaw and his blue eyes were burning with fire.

_'He looks so alive right now, he definitely suits the wild look' _thought Noah_._

"B'uh... Kurt" said Noah while pinching the bridge of his nose, "I'm still nekked".

This comment brought the smaller boy up short with a squeak as he paused mid-tirade and his blush returned full force. Dabbing beneath his nose and being satisfied that the bleeding had stopped Noah looked to the soprano,

"Could you pass me a towel please, as warm as the air is in here the tiles are cold". Shifting to his knees and using the side of the tub for leverage Noah hauled himself upright just as a large fluffy projectile struck him in the face.

While he was trying to disentangle himself he felt a gust of cool air and heard the slam of the bathroom door. Finally breaking free, Noah ran the towel over his head and torso, wrapped it around his waist and pulled the plug on the tub to let the water out. Checking his nose in the mirror and apparently being satisfied with what he saw he padded back to the bedroom.

* * *

Stepping from the humid atmosphere of the bathroom into the bedroom caused goosebumps to raise on Noah's chest and arms. Looking around for Kurt he could see no sign of the soprano and more worryingly, no sign of his clothes.

_'Shit, I'm standing in the middle of Kurt Hummel's bedroom in nothing but a bath towel with his Dad; who wants to KILL me; no more than 12 feet away through the ceiling! Do I have a death-wish?'_

Hoping that Kurt hadn't gone far and would be back soon, Noah spotted the CD player on the shelves under the stairs and decided to investigate.

Popping the lid on the player, Noah saw an unmarked CD in the player. _'Might as well. The kid has good taste in music despite all the fruity musicals he likes to listen to'_.

Closing the lid again with a thunk, Noah pressed 'play' and heard the whirring of the CD as the music started up. Recognising the song immediately Noah smiled – Single Ladies was a song he and the rest of the football team were now intimately familiar with having spent hour after hour rehearsing to it before Kurt's first game as kicker.

Relaxing into the song, Noah tightened the towel around his waist and decided to let loose. Going with the flow and easing into it, Noah started to replicate the dance in time with the music.

He was just starting to have fun with it when he got to the ass slapping part only to freeze with his hand on his ass when he heard a wolf-whistle from the bottom of the stairs.

Realising he'd been caught but refusing to be embarrassed Noah turned towards the stairs expecting to see Kurt and almost dropped his towel in shock seeing Quinn standing there with a huge grin on her face.

* * *

"Well, when I said to 'fix it' Noah I didn't think you'd get naked to do it." Quinn's eyes sparkled with humour as she took in the half-back's sheepish expression.

"What are you doing here Q?" he asked with a hard edge entering his voice which he regretted the moment he saw the girl's eyes narrow in warning.

With a flick of her long blonde hair, Quinn chucked a small wrapped package at him from where she'd been carrying it under her arm,

"Kurt called me. Explained that you needed a change of clothes as yours were soaked through. Seriously Noah I thought you were going to get that window fixed?" she said with a pointed look.

"I didn't believe it when Kurt said you were taking a bath, but here you are and don't you smell nice. Sandalwood?" she teased.

"Stuff it Q" he said shooting the blonde girl a grateful smile, while he tore into the package of clothing. Fishing out a fresh pair of boxers he looked at Quinn with an unspoken request to turn around and received the challenge of a raised eyebrow in return.

Shrugging and mumbling 'nothing you haven't seen before anyway' Noah dropped the towel as Quinn slapped her hands over her eyes and he pulled on his underwear.

Taking up the fresh pair of sweats they went on next while he slung the shirt over his shoulder.

Walking up to Quinn who still had her eyes screwed shut but was now starting to peak through them, he embraced her and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Thanks Q and I'm sorry for snapping at you. It's been a long night". Grateful for the human contact Noah revelled in the hug before breaking apart at the sound of a clearing throat.

"I'm not interrupting anything am I?" said Kurt from the bottom of the stairs. Noah could see him sneaking glances at his torso but for some reason it didn't feel uncomfortable anymore.

"No Kurt, you're not interrupting. And I'm sorry for scaring you earlier." Kurt nodded in acceptance of the apology,

"I just didn't want the hassle of disposing of the body. Do you have any idea the damage hauling a corpse around does to my cuticles?"

Smiling at the boy as Q moved to sit on the edge of the bed, Noah decided to broach a topic he'd been thinking of while in the tub earlier.

"I think if this thing" Noah said gesturing between the two of them, "... is going to work, we're going to need ground rules. Rule #1 of course is 'I am a total badass." Kurt snorted and Quinn groaned at the taller boy, each earning a raised eyebrow in return. "The only other rule I can think of right now is – Rule #2 – A clean slate"

Walking towards the smaller boy he extended his hand,

"Hi, I'm Noah Puckerman but my friends call me Noah."

watching as his much smaller hand was engulfed Kurt smiled up at the half-back,

"Kurt Hummel, Incredible Gay Hulk and resident lifeguard, it's nice to meet you."

The touching moment was ruined however by the quiet sobbing in the corner from an over-emotional Quinn.

"You guys..."

* * *

**A/N: OK, and there we go. That was hard, I mean reeeeeeally hard. I'm still loving this story and it's still pretty much on track to where I want it to go but it's getting progressively harder to make it write as good as it sounds in my head.**

**Please review. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: Day 8 and here's Chapter 8. A big thanks to my reviewers, your kind words were the motivation that kept me going on this. **

**This chapter is sort of split perspective and I apologise ahead of time if it's confusing. I've tried to keep it clear who was saying what, especially inside their own heads, as best I can. **

* * *

After having ridden out the latest eruption of Mount Fabray, normality was restored. Or at least what Kurt thought laughingly passed for normality on this altogether very surreal evening.

The more they talked Kurt, Noah and Quinn found that as a trio, they got on surprisingly well. Kurt wasn't trying to delude himself that it was as fluid an interaction as it would be with Mercedes or even with Finn. There was a lot of water under the bridge between him and Noah and it was clear to the soprano that the jock was trying hard; perhaps too hard to prove that he wasn't the same person as the Puck that had been his tormentor for so many years.

Both boys had struggled at times to find common subjects to talk about

_'Of course Noah doesn't have a favourite musical!' _

_'Of course Kurt's never heard of UFC!'_

and it was clear that Noah was getting somewhat frustrated at the perceived lack of common ground. It was Quinn however who proved to be the glue that brought the threesome together. She expertly weaved the strands of conversation together using common shared experiences with either Kurt or Noah that had never involved both boys.

Having taken the opportunity earlier in the evening to get changed into something more comfortable, Kurt had switched to a set of plush red velvet pyjamas with matching sequined slippers that had Quinn calling him Dorothy for most of the evening. Though he would deny it even under torture, even Noah had to reluctantly concede that the outfit looked exceedingly comfortable.

Though the conversation had been at times stilted there had really only been one truly awkward moment when Quinn hadn't been able to stop herself from satisfying her curiosity and stroked the arm of Kurt's pyjama top.

"Oh, it's so soft!" she gasped in pleasure petting Kurt's forearm like it was a kitten. Kurt preened under the attention and so was not prepared for Quinn's next move.

"Noah, you have to feel..." Reaching over and grabbing Noah's hand, she pressed it firmly to the meat of Kurt's thigh, before either boy could even think to object.

If looks could kill at that very moment, Q would have keeled over instantly with her arms crossed over her chest. Surprisingly though the glare wasn't from Noah but rather from Kurt.

Realising that in her excitement she'd upset the smaller boy and judging from the glazed look in his eye, possibly aroused him too, Quinn released Noah's hand with a mumbled apology. She was struck dumb however when she noticed that Noah, instead of letting go immediately as if he'd been scalded, kept his hand in place.

Processing where his hand was, Noah decided to use the opportunity to make a point to the smaller boy. Keeping his hand in place for several seconds longer than was strictly comfortable he stroked the material while he stared pointedly at the small soprano hoping that he got the reference from earlier that afternoon when their respective roles had been reversed.

A quiet squeak and widening of the eyes from the paler boy was all the evidence Noah needed that his point had been received loud and clear. The blush becoming evident on the soprano's cheeks was just an added bonus.

Quinn sat back watching the interaction realising that more was being said without words than with them. She resolved to corner Noah later that night when they returned home. If there was one thing Quinn Fabray did not like, it was being outside of the loop. Besides, she was well aware that the evil pouty lip would triumph against any opposition put up by the jock. Noah would tell her everything she wanted to know, even... no especially if he didn't want to.

Eventually though even Quinn, whose talent for stringing conversation together out of the most mediocre of subjects was legend, had run out of topics. Matters had since degenerated into a debate over whether the Mohawk was cool, as Noah watched Q's eyes start to droop and slowly close.

"… as bad as dreadlocks".

Noah turned back to Kurt realising he'd zoned out in favour of watching Q and had no idea whether the smaller boy's argument was correct or even coherent. _'Of course it wasn't correct mohawks are cool everybody knew that!'_

Nodding his head in the direction of the now slumbering pregnant girl, Noah whispered,

"I really should get her home..."

Noah was surprised to see an expression on Kurt's face of genuine disappointment and realised that the smaller boy's face most likely mirrored his own. _Who'd have thought I'd enjoy spending an evening on Kurt Hummel's bed? _He couldn't help sniggering at his own internal monologue earning a quizzical look from the soprano._  
_

Shuffling to the edge of the big queen-sized bed as gently as he could, Noah got to his feet before turning back to Q and lifted her into his arms with a surprising ease. Even with-child Quinn wasn't exactly heavy, she picked at food like a bird, the exception being when it came to ding-dongs. And though her baby bump was getting more pronounced each day she was still easily light enough for Noah to carry without any strain.

Grumbling in her sleep and nuzzling into Noah's shoulder Quinn looked like a little girl many years her junior and Noah couldn't resist the temptation to place a kiss on the girls forehead. He was rewarded moments later with a small smile on the girl's face as she slept on blissfully unaware.

Motioning to Kurt to go on ahead of him, he carried the girl up the basement stairs and out onto the porch. _'Was I just checking out Hummel's ass in those pyjama pants? Oh hell no...'_

The storm had passed and the smell of wet grass assaulted Noah's nostrils. He chuckled quietly as he noted Quinn's nose twitch as she obviously picked up on the fragrance too. Shifting the small body in his arms slightly, he looked to Kurt who was standing in the doorway looking somewhat dejected.

"I'll... see you tomorrow?" he asked hesitantly as if expecting to be shot down in flames by the jock.

Nodding his head gently so as not to disturb his sleeping passenger he confirmed to the smaller boy,

"I'll need to come by tomorrow morning to collect my guitar and truck anyway", he said gesturing to the Ford sitting by the kerb. Noah surprised even himself with his next question,

"Uh - would you like a ride to school?" Noah was confused at the genuine look of horror on the soprano's face. _'What? Did I offer to piss on his collection of Gucci shoes by mistake?'_

"You want me to ride to school in that death trap?" the boy hissed while pointing at the truck.

"Uh, no I guess not... Jeez Hummel I was only offering...", feeling the need to defend his princess from attack. Realising in his indignation that the volume of his voice was raising and that he was going to wake Quinn if he wasn't careful, he took a deep breath.

Before he could form another sentence, out of the uncomfortable silence came a softly spoken voice with an olive branch,

"I... I could pick you up instead and you can leave your truck here? That is... I mean, if you want to come over tomorrow night to help me choose a song for Glee?".

"Yeah... I guess that makes sense" said Noah nodding to the smaller boy.

"Or not - it's not like we _have_ to work together, I can speak to Mr Schue... wait... what?" said the smaller boy being unable to disguise the shock in his voice.

Smiling patiently at the soprano he repeated his acceptance,

"I said yes Kurt. I will ride with you to school tomorrow...", waiting for the soprano to catch up.

Noah was surprised to find a warmth spreading through him as he witnessed the blossoming smile of genuine happiness on the face of Kurt at his declaration.

Suddenly realising they'd just taken the first step to becoming – _friends? _- the atmosphere between the two boys became much more tense. As if sensing their discomfort, Quinn chose that moment to shift restlessly in Noah's arms.

"Uh...I'll see you in the morning then...for school I mean..." Noah was blissfully aware of the internal smackdown taking place inside Kurt's head '_Just_ g_reat Kurt, of course for school! Way to spazz out, very mature!'_

"Uh, yeah – seeya", said Noah turning away as he too berated himself in his head _'Uh, yeah – seeya? Good going moron. Next time try stringing a sentence together'._

Retreating back across the threshold of the door, Kurt watched as Noah carefully loaded Quinn into the passenger seat of her yellow MX-5 and strapped her in.

With a backwards glance at the Hummel house, Noah could see Kurt's silhouette standing in the doorway. Waving in acknowledgement Noah climbed into the driver's seat and seconds later the small car peeled away from the kerb.

Closing the door and relocking it Kurt considered just how weird his life had become. If you'd asked him even just 24 hours previously whether he'd thought he'd be playing taxi-cab for Noah Puckerman he'd have clawed your eyes out and suggested you seek psychiatric help at the nearest HMO.

Mind still going a mile a minute, Kurt distractedly punched in the access code to his room and retreated down the steps. '_My skincare routine has been completely shot to hell tonight. I'll be lucky if I don't break out in hives by morning.'_

Running his hands through his hair, not caring any longer that in the process he'd mussed it up good, Kurt moaned,_ 'God, I can't think straight! I need to talk to Mercedes – someone has to make sense of this insanity! What am I doing?'_

Pulling the top sheet back off his bed, Kurt switched off the lights, bathing the room in a silver glow from the light of the moon. Crawling into bed he sighed in relief as he thought.

_'Kurt Hummel arriving to school with Noah Puckerman. Tomorrow was going to be interesting.'_

* * *

The silence in the small car was absolute for the first couple of blocks travelling away from the Hummel's place.

"I know you're awake Q. You can stop pretending now".

Stretching and righting herself in the seat the blonde glanced at Noah out of the corner of her eye as he continued,

"If you wanted to leave you just had to say so." The car swerved to the left sharply as Quinn landed a punch to the jock's shoulder in annoyance,

"Hey!" exclaimed Noah as he hurriedly righted the car's trajectory before they crashed.

"Shut up Noah. I didn't want to leave you idiot. I was trying to give you and Kurt the chance to speak without me being a third wheel..."

"We were talking fine before" Noah tried to argue, though in his heart he knew he wasn't being completely truthful.

"That's total bull Noah and you know it." said Quinn, realising she was getting worked up and diverted away from the point she wanted to make.

"You're a good man Noah Puckerman. Regardless of what you may have done to Kurt in the past. The past few months, you've shown me that you've grown up into a good and decent person..." she paused to collect her thoughts,

"You were trying too hard tonight Noah. Things with Kurt aren't going to be solved in a single night. You _are_ going to make mistakes. You _are_ going to argue. You won't be the only one to make mistakes either. Do you think it's easy for Kurt to suddenly try to trust the same guy that threw him in a dumpster every day and called him a 'fag'?"

Accepting her point but needing to vent Noah argued back,

"But I'm not the same guy Q!", his argument however was derailed by four simple words from the blonde girl.

"You are to Kurt."

Squeezing the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were white, Noah shouted,

"Damn it Q, what do you want me to do huh? I know I was an asshole to the kid for years. I'm not a fucking magician - I can't wave a magic wand and make it all better! We talked tonight Q – I mean really talked... before you arrived. I told Kurt about my Dad...".

The confession surprised Quinn as Noah had always been very guarded with his feelings when it concerned his family, even with her. It was the one topic that even the evil pouty lip coudn't get Noah to open up about. Keeping silent in the passenger seat, she watched as a myriad of emotions washed over his face as the battle raged inside him between the boy he'd been and the man he wanted to become.

"I know things with Kurt are going to be complicated Q and you're right, I probably was trying too hard tonight... I just... I just don't know why but it's... important to me that he more than anyone believes I want to change. Of everyone I've every wronged in my life, he was the worst y'know?"

Falling silent Noah pulled the car up into the drive outside his Mom's and turned off the engine. The pair sat there in silence, Noah trying to quell the torrent of emotions running through him and Quinn waiting for Noah to speak. She knew he had more he had to say. She was sadly to be disappointed by the stubborn half-back.

"C'mon, it's late and I'm tired..." said Noah, popping his door and exiting the car, walking up to the house without looking back.

Sitting in the passenger seat Quinn cursed,

"...idiotic, stupid, pigheaded... adorably sweet fool!" Popping her own door, Quinn hoisted herself out of the low car, groaning as her back protested the movement.

"Oh Noah, what am I going to do with you?" she asked as she crossed the drive and climbed the steps. Entering the house, the lure of her bed becoming more inviting with every step, she promised herself that she'd do everything in her power to help her friend find some peace. _Noah Puckerman I am going to see you happy if its the last thing I do._

Turning off the lights throughtout the house as she went she noted that the door to Noah's room was closed and the lights were turned off. '_Best to let him be for now.'_

Calling goodnight through the door she wasn't surprised or upset to receive silence as her only response. _'Stupid, stubborn foolish man – I do love you though.'_

Entering her own bedroom, she changed into a pair of elasticated pyjamas and sighed in relief as she slipped between the covers.

_'Noah Puckerman sharing a car to school with Kurt Hummel... tomorrow was going to be interesting'_.

She couldn't wait.

* * *

**A/N: Well I'm afraid this chapter ended up pretty much being filler, nothing really happened which is a shame. **

**I say that like I didn't know that nothing was going to happen in the chapter; thing is... I have no plan... it's just as much of a surprise to me as it is to you!**

**Chapter 9 hopefully tomorrow. I'm going to go do something else right now as my brain hurts and I've had no life outside of this fic for the past week!**

**PLEASE REVIEW**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

A/N: Day 9 and despite losing my entire day's work and having to recreate it, I've managed to at least publish.

* * *

The rising sun came all too soon as far as Kurt was concerned. Of course, any sane person wouldn't even dream of getting up at 5 am to go through a rigorous skincare regime.

Having subjected himself to two facial exfoliations to make up for the previous night's abbreviated regime, he'd applied enough anti-wrinkle cream to leave Mother Teresa looking like Joan Rivers and was finally half-way satisfied with his appearance.

Grumbling in consternation he looked out a small dropper bottle and applied eye drops to each of his bloodshot eyes. _'I look like I had one too many Appletini's last night and slept in a ditch. God I feel wretched.'_

Though he'd gotten into his bed reasonably quickly, sleep had eluded the soprano. Eventually... after hours of staring at the ceiling and counting diamante sheep which sparkled in the moonlight, when he finally did nod off he had strange dreams involving Noah dressed as Willy Wonka, with Quinn on his shoulder with a Cheshire Cat grin. Suffice to say that his subconscious hijinks did not make for a well rested soprano come morning and the little diva got seriously stroppy when he didn't get enough sleep.

While he used his eyelash curlers, the cell on the vanity table vibrated twice, signalling that a text message had arrived.

Snatching up the phone he smiled at the message from Mercedes,

"Hey K, u nid a ride 2 skool 2day?" He was just about to tap out a response to the girl when he realised that he wasn't entirely sure what to say. Deciding to err on the side of caution he quickly tapped out a vague response. _'Yeah, vague is good at this point'._

"No thanx Cedes. Takin my baby 2day – c u in class x"

A sudden apprehension overtook the smaller boy as he finished his cosmetic routine and stood. His nervous disposition wasn't helped by the text he'd received not a half hour previously from what had initially been an unknown number. All became clear shortly thereafter,

"Wear your nicest clothes today Kurt. No dumpster dive, you have my word. Noah"

Once he'd gotten over the initial shock of the football player using grammatically correct English instead of text-speak, Kurt couldn't help but dream of the possibility of a single day's respite from visiting the inside of the dumpster. It was almost enough to cheer up the small soprano but at the same time he worried that Noah couldn't guarantee anything and if he did try to stop someone from trying he might compromise himself in front of his friends.

_'We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it'_ he resolved. He had to admit that it gave him a warm feeling to know that someone was looking out for him. It didn't make the butterflies in his stomach any less active however, they were just warm butterflies.

Deciding to take the risk and take Noah at his word, Kurt had selected his favouring pair of black skinny jeans, a white dress shirt with a burgundy scarf and his black and gold trimmed waistcoat. Clipping on his grandfather's antique pocket watch, Kurt examined his appearance in the mirror and nodding to himself, he checked the time.

Realising that if he wanted to get to school in good time he'd have to leave to pick up Noah now, he eased his feet into his Gucci's, snatched up his phone and car keys and slung his book bag over his shoulder.

Texting a reply to the earlier message he decided that simplicity was probably best.

'Leaving now. C u in 20'. 'Damn butterflies'.

* * *

While Kurt was completing his skincare regime, Noah and Quinn were going through their own morning routines.

For the most part said routines involved Noah sleeping through his alarm, Quinn taking hours in the bathroom getting ready and the pair squabbling like children as they scrambled to get everything together in time to make it to first period.

This morning was different in one aspect however. Noah had not slept through his alarm. In fact Noah had not slept at all. He had been awake long before the incessant buzzing broke him from his thoughts.

After he'd abandoned Q in the car the previous evening and stormed to his room, though he'd closed and locked his door and turned out all the lights, he'd never actually gotten to sleep.

He felt bad now thinking back on how he'd heard Q wish him a good night and knowing that he hadn't responded. Initially he'd thought it was because he was just so confused and angry with Kurt but six hours with nothing to do but think led him to a different conclusion. He was angry with himself for expecting too much too soon from his new relationship with the small soprano.

He'd lain in bed for hours, staring blindly at the poster of Alyssa Milano which took pride of place above his headboard. The poster had been there since Noah was 13 after he'd become addicted to Charmed while being stuck in bed with stomach flu. If anyone asked however he'd claim that the poster was there simply because Alyssa Milano was hot.

_'Which she totally is so it wasn't a lie'._

After copying Kurt's number from Q's cell he'd decided to send the boy a message to show that he was serious about putting past poor behaviours behind him. One sure fire way to do that was to make sure that nobody else could do to Kurt what he himself had done over the years.

Sending him a message telling him to wear his nicest clothes and guaranteeing to the smaller boy that he'd not be taking any dumpster dives that day was a risk. After all Noah couldn't legislate for any of the other jocks, especially when it came to Dave Karofsky. The big football player seemed to have taken an especially virulent dislike to the soprano since he'd joined the team earlier in the year. Of course that animosity could just be because Karofsky was a terrible dancer who'd stumbled through 'Single Ladies' like a drunken sailor, but it was more logical to assume he was simply a homophobic prick.

Not receiving a reply from Kurt didn't worry the jock as he figured a high maintenance guy like Kurt probably took twice as long as Q getting ready in the morning. Throwing on a pair of black jeans, a white tee and a patterned button down shirt on which he left the top three buttons open, Noah wandered down to the kitchen smiling as he heard the sounds of Q singing along to Umbrella whilst in the shower.

Noah figured seeing as he'd spent nearly an hour in Kurt's bath the previous night that he'd be safe to hold out for a shower until after football practice that afternoon. If he sniffed himself still he could smell sandalwood and he found he was really starting to like the fragrance.

_'Maybe I could start having all my showers at Kurt's place'_ he thought with some amusement, it'd sure make it easier than getting into the bathroom in a house with three women all clamouring to use up all the hot water.

Noah had lost count of the number of freezing cold showers he'd been subjected to when the hot water ran out. It was a wonder that 'little-noah' hadn't permanent retracted inside his body in protest at the repeated poor treatment. _'But then there's a lot of 'little-noah' to retract'_ he thought smugly.

A few minutes later, while he finished his bowl of Cheerios, Q's breakfast cereal of choice for obvious reasons; he heard the shower turn off and the click of the bathroom door opening and closing again.

A few seconds later, a positively glowing Quinn flounced into the kitchen in a light blue summer dress, placed a kiss on Noah's cheek, grabbed the box of Cheerios and began pouring herself a bowl.

As she tucked in Noah decided to take the opportunity to apologise for his surly mood the night before,

"Q, I'm sorry about last night. I was just..." he broke off unable to find the right adjective.

"... a guy?" offered Q, inadvertently spraying the worktop with little 'o's of oats.

Noah rolled his eyes as he picked up a dish rag and wiped up after the blonde who thanked him silently as she continued to munch away on her cereal.

"Yeah. A guy. I'm sorry and I hope you forgive me?" he said hopefully.

Not trusting herself to speak this time, Quinn simply nodded, cheeks stuffed with Cheerios. Noah couldn't help but tease the blonde,

"Q, try swallowing what you have first before putting anymore in. You look like a chipmunk." Quinn waved her spoon at Noah as if to say 'mind your own business' before wandering over to dump her leftovers in the disposal and wash out her bowl and utensil.

Just as he wrapped his arms around the blonde from behind and placed a kiss on her cheek, he felt his cell vibrate in his pants pocket,

"That had better be your cell Noah..." teased Q as she wriggled from his grasp before he could initiate a tickle-war for her disrespect. Noah's cell was small and compact after all, it was not a comparison he wanted her to be making!

As if reading his mind, Quinn laughed as she struck out for the front room and her shoes which she'd left there the previous evening.

Noah was oblivious to the Cheerio as he studied the message from Kurt and tried to decipher it's meaning. Finally he pondered _'What's wrong with actually spelling 'see you in twenty'? The one thing I didn't need after a night with no sleep was a puzzle before school'._

Realising he wasn't actually angry with the soprano but was just cranky from lack of sleep, Noah called through to Quinn that he would be riding to school with Kurt and that she could leave whenever she wanted.

His only answer was the slam of the door as Q took off without a backwards glance. _'Bitch'_ he thought fondly.

* * *

Kurt pulled up outside the Puckerman's house to find Noah sitting on the kerb waiting for him. The taller boy quickly hopped into the passenger seat, slinging his bag under the seat and with a hurried greeting attempted to change the track on the CD player. This action did nothing but earn him a smack on the back of the hand from the soprano.

"Good morning Kurt... did you sleep well? Well actually no I had horrific dreams but you don't want to hear about that! No really Kurt, tell me all about it..." said Kurt sarcastically with a pointed look at the football player.

With an expression like a scolded puppy Noah meekly offered,

"Good morning Kurt, did you sleep well?"

_'Why is it that Kurt is so good at making me feel like I'm five years old?'_

Rolling his eyes at the jock Kurt paused in his diatribe to assess Noah's outfit. Snug black, jeans hugged his legs like they were made for him, and he had on a tight white tee with a shirt over the top. Kurt noted that the top three buttons were undone giving the soprano a tantalising glimpse of the football player's toned pectorals. Noah's strong cheekbones were highlighted by the slight stubble which he'd clearly not taken care of that morning. All in all, he looked good.

_'Very good'_ he admitted to himself.

Shaking himself out of his stupor before he could get called out for staring, Kurt put the Navigator into drive and peeled away from the kerb.

The drive to school was fairly routine, conversation was sparse as each boy simply commented on what classes they had that day, or the latest gossip about Glee club members. Both boys shared a moment of humour reminiscing about Brittany's masterful manipulation of Rachel the prior afternoon. While giggling Kurt had intended to brace himself on the centre console only to find his hand brushing black denim.

This time it was Kurt's turn to withdraw his hand like he'd been scalded and he awkwardly offered up an apology to the jock before fixing his eyes on the road ahead.

Several minutes went by with Kurt not saying anything and Noah found that he had to break the stretching silence. Reaching across the divide he ran his knuckles across the back of Kurt's hand startling the boy.

"Hey... it's cool alright? I know you didn't intend to do it."

Those few simple words seemed to breath life back into the smaller boy who offered a shy smile of thanks to the jock. Noah revelled again in the warm contented feeling in his chest seeing Kurt so happy as a result of his actions.

Eventually however the car journey had to end and as they pulled into the school parking lot, Noah pointed Kurt to his usual space, knowing that in the absence of his own truck nobody else would be using it.

Bringing the Navigator to a stop Kurt looked at Noah, the first signs of apprehension showing in the smaller boy's eyes.

_'You need to distract him before he panics Noah' _rang out the voice of his conscience. It totally freaked Noah out to realise that the voice in his head was Q and it was she who was his conscience.

Deciding that clothing was probably the best topic to engage the boy on and to encourage him to loosen up, he complimented his outfit,

"I uh... I like those jeans... are they like designer? I mean... of course they're designer, you're Kurt after all..." _'Oh good going jackass. Way to distract him from panicking'._

Noah's self-recrimination was brought up short however when Kurt offered him a grateful smile for his efforts.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked. Noah marvelled as Kurt's baby blue eyes hardened imperceptibly and his familiar mask slipped into place. Despite the events of the past 24 hours he was still the same Kurt Hummel after all.

Noah shakily drew in a breath of his own; _'God I hope this works and I can keep him out of harms way. If I don't I don't think he'll ever speak to me again'_.

Keeping his traitorous doubts to himself, he unbuckled his seatbelt, which Kurt had insisted he use while in 'his baby'. Kurt said it was for his own safety, but Noah secretly suspected that it was to save the upholstery from getting his brains splattered all over them in the event of a crash.

Hopping from the car, Noah watched as Kurt did the same on the other side. Noah having hopped out of the Navigator from the passenger side was not in sight of the group of jock's standing by the dumpster, who were headed up by Karofsky as usual.

"Hey Faggot..." shouted Karofsky making no attempt to hide his disdain for the soprano, "... you're late! I should mess you up for almost making me late for class... if I was going to class that is!" he said while his idiot friends all laughed as his amazing wit.

Kurt had frozen in the parking lot just a few steps from the Navigator. As if forgetting the promise made to him by Noah, he started to shuffle towards the group in resignation.

He started slightly when he felt a strong arm slide over his shoulder and squeeze him in an attempt to offer comfort. _'Noah! Noah is here! I almost forgot. Oh but look at Karofsky, he's going to have an aneurysm if he's not careful'_

The distance between the two groups, Kurt and Noah on one side and Karofsky and four other jocks on the other was in reality about twelve feet. In metaphorical terms however it might as well have been the length of an ocean.

Standing his ground, with his arm slung tightly around the soprano's shoulders, Noah stared down Karofsky.

"So what Puck..." Kurt tensed at the use of the nickname which he'd almost forgotten was still the moniker for the boy protecting him at this very moment, "... he your boyfriend now or somethin'?" Another round of inane laughter greeted that comment. Kurt thought it sounded very much like the call of hyenas or jackals from the Discovery Channel.

"So what if he was?" Noah challenged.

Kurt couldn't help the look of complete stupefaction on his face at the footballer's words and had to remind himself, _'don't kid yourself Hummel, he's only saying that to call Karofsky's bluff'_.

Finally something had to give between the two camps and it was the arrival on the scene of Mr Schue, in his beat up blue Honda that allowed Noah to steer them away and past the jock's without incident.

Catching up to Mr Schue, Noah expertly engaged the teacher in conversation, the arm still slung over Kurt's shoulders garnering nothing more than a raised eyebrow from the Glee club mentor.

Finally crossing the threshold of the school Mr Schue broke away from the pairing with a hurried goodbye leaving them to suffer the whispers and stares of the general populace of William McKinley High School.

Leading a still shell-shocked Kurt to his locker, where he deposited him gently beside a slack-jawed Mercedes, he simply winked at the smaller boy before wandering away towards the Nurse's office without a single word spoken.

As he rounded the corner out of sight he heard the unmistakeable sound of Mercedes,

"Oh HELL naw..."

Noah couldn't help but grin.

* * *

**A/N: Phew. Chapter written and in one hour 35 minutes too! Not bad going I don't think.**

**Lots more fluff, angst, romance and slushie facials in upcoming chapters. I'm starting to build up a list of different plot points I want to incorporate. I have about 3 weeks of a time-line for this story to develop so there's scope for plenty more chapters.**

PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU LIKE. PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU DON'T. EITHER WAY PLEASE REVIEW!


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: Day 10 and Chapter 10! I have had it pointed out to me that I made a rather embarrassing error in an earlier chapter. As it turns out I pressed the wrong key and referred to Kurt having Chanel No. 9 instead of Chanel No. 5. **

**As it turns out Chanel No. 9 is a rather expensive combination of Class A drugs... oops. I considered making Kurt into a junkie, but with his skin, the whole washed-out look just didn't work for me.**

**Chapter 10 – Choices and Explanations**

* * *

"Oh HELL naw..."

Whilst Noah was grinning as he sauntered away, the soprano had almost jumped out of his skin at Mercedes exclamation.

Trying not to meet his friend's eyes while he desperately attempted to open his locker, Kurt fumbled with the padlock as he prayed to the gods of fashion that 'cedes wouldn't notice the hot blush now staining his cheeks. He was sadly to be disappointed.

Closing her jaw with an audible click, her brain only now getting back into gear, Mercedes turned to Kurt with a furious expression on her face.

"You? and Puck?... The Puck?... THAT Puck?" she accused pointing in the direction the football player had swaggered off. Kurt cringed as each syllable left his friend's mouth the pitch increasing along with the incredulity. Kurt desperately wanted to correct his friend but he realised he couldn't... at least not in such a public setting. All he could hope for at this point was a little discretion from his BFF.

Kurt realised of course, that she'd jumped to conclusions but in retrospect she was probably completely justified to do so. After all, it wasn't everyday that Kurt was escorted to his locker with Noah's arm over his shoulder. Hell it wasn't _any _day that Kurt was escorted to his locker with Noah's arm over his shoulder. To make matters worse, he'd had his head tucked snugly into the taller boy's side. _'Stupid perfectly formed jock...'_

Attempting to defuse the impending explosion which was sure to draw even more attention than he had already garnered that morning, Kurt turned to Mercedes hissing,

"Please 'cedes. Not here. I promise I'll explain, just... just wait..." he pleaded gesturing with his eyes to the dozens of Cheerios, Nerds, Jocks and even Teachers who were craning their necks and trying to hear the dialogue between the pair.

Kurt levelled a rather nasty glare at Miss Pillsbury who was standing immobile by the water fountain trying not so subtly to listen into their conversation. She looked suitably abashed to have been caught and abandoned the fountain with a squeak tottering away like Bambi in heels, forgetting all about her thirst in the process.

Thankfully Mercedes had been persuaded by Kurt's plea and nodded though she certainly did not look happy about it.

"You had better explain K... and just so you know... it better be _good_!".

Sighing in realisation of a good morning gone wrong, Kurt retrieved his bottle of Chanel from inside his Spanish dictionary and spritzed a little onto each wrist and behind each ear.

Chanel had for years been Kurt's safety blanket, it was not strictly a fragrance he thought suited him, but it was his mother's favourite and so many of his earliest memories involved laying in the library smelling his Mom's perfume and listening as she read to him from 'Canterbury Tales', 'Jane Eyre', 'Wuthering Heights' or 'Pride and Prejudice'. So for that reason alone he used it frequently.

Carefully placing the little bottle back on the shelf, Kurt selected those books he'd need for his morning classes, swapping them out for the sheet music in his bag from yesterday's Glee club meeting.

Closing his locker with a little more force than was absolutely necessary earning a raised eyebrow from the obviously still riled up Mercedes, Kurt ducked his head and offered her his arm.

Realising that Kurt was obviously in need of a friend and that she was only really angry with him out of concern for his well-being, Mercedes decided to let it go for now and to offer her friend the comfort and support he obviously needed right now.

Linking her arm through his, she smiled at him supportively and was gratified to see the soprano's posture straighten and he smiled back at her in thanks.

"We _will_ talk later Kurt... for now, lets just be our usual fabulous selves".

Chuckling at his friend, Kurt marvelled at the gift to the world that was Mercedes Jones. The girl had stuck by him through thick and thin in recent months, despite the incident involving the windscreen on his baby. He thanked the gods every day to have her in his life.

"Fabulous it is!" he cheered trying valiantly to ignore the varied looks of confusion, disgust and in the case of one teacher, creepy Mr Karlsson - lust, being directed at him.

"Speaking of fabulous that top on you is divine" he drawled flicking the fringe of the short sleeved top on his friend.

Mercedes preened appreciatively under the praise and Kurt was relieved to find himself slipping back into his usual routine all thoughts of Noah, Puck, friends and enemies fading into the background.

* * *

The relief felt by Noah after he reached the sanctuary of the Nurse's office was palpable. He'd done it! He'd successfully followed through on his promise to Kurt. Maybe this being nice to the little dude would be alright after all.

As the adrenaline started to wear off he realised with a dawning horror that he'd stood up to Karofsky and his posse in defence of Kurt and that the repercussions of that action, whether he was a stud or not, were _not_ going to be pretty. Of course rationally he'd already worked out that there'd be some friction, after all he was intent on defending the gay kid he'd once targeted himself most harshly.

Still, he resolved it was worth the possible fallout, even if only to see the expression on the smaller boy's face as he'd called Karofsky's bluff about Kurt being his boyfriend.

_'He is pretty cute for a guy and his look is very feminine', _he thought some part of him clearly willing to contemplate the idea, _'Even if I were a homo, which I'm not, I could totally rock that boy's world'_.

Beginning to feel the strain of the previous night's lack of sleep, coupled with the morning's adrenaline rush, the jock could feel the energy flowing out of him. With a practiced motion he closed the blind and set an alarm on his cell before slumping back in the cot, dead to the world.

* * *

English class had been Hell. Not only had he forgotten to lift his copy of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' from his locker but his teacher, Mr Kowalski was staring at him like he'd worn his Mellencamp outfit again. Kurt had actually had to do a quick check of his outfit to satisfy himself that he hadn't!

Rolling his neck and shifting in his seat, Kurt tried to get into a better position in which to share Mercedes copy of the book. _'Seriously, it would only have taken me two minutes to go back to my locker and get the damn book! Mr Kowalski was such a douche'_.

Realising that the teacher's droning recitation of the book had stopped, Kurt looked up from the text. An uncomfortable feeling overtook him as it became apparent that every head in the whole room had turned to stare at him and Mercedes was looking at him with growing horror. _'What did he do?'_

"Mr Hummel..." said Mr Kowalski as he set his copy of the novel down on the desk he was currently perched upon.

_'Uh-oh – that can't be good' _thought Kurt.

"Um... yes Mr Kowalski?"

_'Play dumb... yes play dumb and maybe he'll leave you alone' _

It was a forlorn hope but it was all Kurt had...

"Could you please explain for the class what relevance my being a 'douche'..." he rolled the word round his mouth as if tasting a fine wine, "... has to the role of Scout Finch as narrator in this book?".

_'Crap crap crap crap crap'_ The mantra repeated inside Kurt's head.

Conceding he'd have to reply eventually he cursed internally when his voice cracked,

"I... uh... I don't exactly know Sir. Sorry Sir" trying his best to look contrite while he waited for the ground to swallow him up whole.

"That's fine Mr Hummel..." Relief swept through the soprano only to be quashed just seconds later, "you can consider the proper answer during detention tomorrow evening. I'm sure that Mr Schuester will be pleased to accommodate you..."

Nodding his head meekly realising that there was nothing to be done now but accept the detention without argument he replied,

"Yes Mr Kowalski".

Turning back to the class Mr Kowalski picked up his copy of the novel again and to the room asked,

"Ok... so who _does_ have an idea of why Scout Finch is used as narrator? Anyone?"

Fixing his eyes to the pages of the book Kurt refused to acknowledge the inquisitive looks being shot at him by some members of the room, specifically Mercedes, Artie and Tina.

He did note however Mercedes scribbling a short note on a scrap of paper and slipping it into the arm of Artie's wheelchair unobtrusively.

He watched fuming at the girl, as the bespectacled boy snagged the note while looking intently at his book, only to begin coughing violently as if he'd swallowed his tongue, just seconds later.

Attempting to cover up for his extreme reaction, Artie apologised to Mr Kowalski for interrupting while passing the note with his offhand to Tina. Thankfully Tina's reaction to whatever Mercedes had written was markedly more composed. The only visible sign of a change in the girl being a light blush on her cheeks.

Thankfully the period was close to an end and by the time the bell rang signalling the start of lunch break Kurt could not wait to get outside away from all the whispering and staring.

_'God! I only walked into school with a hot guy's arm around me, it's not even like I'm attracted to him', _Kurt tried to delude himself.

Resolving to grab a sandwich from the lunch room and retreat to the bleachers to eat in solitude, he packed up his book bag and stood.

Before he'd gotten even three feet from where he'd been sitting, he felt a hand wrap around his wrist bringing him to a sharp halt as the nails bit in through his shirt sleeve.

Looking up into the eyes of Mercedes he realised with a growing sense of doom that his dream to escape was going to be fruitless. Nodding in acceptance he asked,

"Can we... _not_ do this here? Please?" he pleaded looking at the trio that had moved to box him in. While they considered his plea, his eyes darted about looking for a route of escape and finding none. If he could have run he probably would have at that point.

A growl was the only response from Mercedes.

"Where would you like to go Kurt?" interjected Artie trying to head off Mercedes impending tirade. Kurt shot the sweater-vested boy a grateful look before volunteering,

"The bleachers should be empty..." he offered, not able to meet the girl's eyes.

Mercedes gave a single nod in agreement as she turned, not letting go of Kurt's wrist and dragged him in her wake in the direction of the exit. Tina and Artie exchanged a glance as they both asked the same question at the same time,

"Puck?"

Realising they were being left behind, they quickened their pace to keep up with the rampaging diva and the stumbling fashion accessory attached to her wrist.

* * *

Puck was roused by the sound of AC/DC and decided that it was definitely _not_ the best kind of music for an alarm when you're dead tired.

Grousing as he sat up, he realised that his mouth was dry and that he felt even worse for the couple of hours sleep he'd had than he had before with none.

Swinging his legs over the end of the cot, he yelped in sudden agony as his foot connected with the edge of the grey metallic filing cabinet at the foot of the cot.

Perched on the edge of the cot Noah undid the laces on his sneaker and removed both it and his sock. Cursing he realised he must have snagged a nail as a steady trickle of blood was running down between his toes. _'Just great! How am I going to sort this out?'_

Slapping a hand over his eyes he cursed himself.

_'Look at where you are dumbass! It's a Nurse's office, that means band-aids, antiseptics - all the things to treat injuries.'_

Getting gingerly to his feet, he crossed to the first-aid cabinet and started rummaging around. Discarded over his shoulder went rolls of bandages, enough assorted bottles of rubbing alcohol to keep April Rhodes in booze for a month and a myriad of boxes of band-aids all with cheery farm animals printed on them.

"God damn it!"

Scowling, Noah found that the only band-aids in the entire cupboard small enough to do the job were pink with fluffy rabbits on them!

_'I'd rather bleed to death' _he thought melodramatically before looking down at the small pool of blood forming on the floor.

_'… and if that keeps going it's possible I just might. Maybe I can pull it off... I am a stud after all, I should be able to get away with pink bunnies'_.

Picking up some cotton swabs and a bottle of the antiseptic he carefully dabbed at the cut hissing as the antiseptic did it's job. Satisfied that the bleeding had stopped, Noah discarded the red-tinged swab and broke out the band-aid.

Sighing in resignation as he knew that he'd _never_ be able to pull of pink bunnies no matter how much of a stud he was he wrapped up his toe and put his sneakers back on sans socks.

Just as he was leaving the Nurse's office, feeling decidedly less badass even though nobody would know of his unconventional new foot accessory, the bell sounded and the hallway quickly filled up with kids emptying book bags and chattering to their friends.

Wandering out in the direction of the football field, Noah couldn't help but notice the staring and whispering as he walked past. It wasn't the normal kind of whispering and giggling he was used to; this was more muted and sinister to the football player's ears.

Finally reaching the end of the corridor, he slammed through the doors to the locker rooms intent on sitting in his favourite spot in the middle of the football pitch. It was the one place in the entire school where you could guarantee at least 100 yards of blissfully empty space on every side and Noah found that out there he could relax fully.

Wandering past the entrance to the showers Noah heard some shuffling behind him.

Before he could react he was forced face first into a row of lockers and his arm was twisted behind his back.

"You think it was funny Puck..." said a low threatening voice "...showing me up in front of my boys this morning?"

_'Great... Karofsky, just what I need' _thought the footballer.

Though he had never taken any kind of classes or anything, Noah had watched enough UFC in his lifetime to be able to mimic some of the moves he'd witnessed on the TV.

Spinning around quickly, Noah relieved the pressure Karofsky had on his arm and slung the larger boy into the lockers, cheering inside as the back of his head met steel with a resounding crash. Placing his forearm across the larger boy's windpipe before he could slump to the ground and applying pressure, Noah was pleased to see Karofsky's eyes bug out as the breath he desperately needed was denied to him.

Staring into Karofsky's eyes, making sure he had the boy's full attention Noah growled,

"Keep your hands to yourself when it comes to Kurt Hummel or you'll _wish_ I'd let you suffocate today..."

With that, Noah released his hold on the boy's windpipe and Karofsky slumped to a seating position desperately gulping in air.

Feeling his cell vibrate Noah, Noah fished it out, tapped out a short reply and got the hell out of the locker room. He'd be skipping football practice today.

He hoped Karofsky took the time to get the message.

* * *

Having gotten themselves comfortable at the foot of the bleachers to save Artie the trip up the ridiculously complicated disabled access ramp, Kurt sat tapping into his cell while Mercedes waited impatiently for him to finish.

"OK Kurt that's enough sexting your boyfriend. We need to talk..." said Mercedes with sarcasm just dripping from her voice.

"I'm not sexting Noah..." came the even voiced reply from the soprano though his cheeks tinted slightly. Tina raised an eyebrow at the use of the half-back's first name, never having before even considered that the boy even had one.

"Aha! I knew it!" crowed Mercedes clearly pleased to have gotten a confession out of the smaller boy. Kurt however would not rise to the bait.

"I'm not dating Noah either..." he said plainly. Mercedes scoffed and muttered,

"Sure you aren't..." As if feeling the need to defend his new friend Kurt elaborated,

"I'm checking how much detail he wants me to give you and whether there's anything in particular he'd rather I kept to myself."

Mercedes again seemed to be offended by the statement,

"Since when does Puck..." spat Mercedes, unwilling to entertain using the name Kurt clearly favoured, "... decide what you do and don't tell your friends?"

Pointedly ignoring the girl in favour of checking his cell Kurt read the response from the half-back.

_'Tell them the truth Kurt. I'll handle anything else that comes of it, though I'd appreciate if you'd not mention my Dad. Noah x'_

_'Sounds simple enough'_ thought Kurt, organising his thoughts.

Clearing her throat loudly Mercedes glared at the smaller boy awaiting him to explain himself.

Taking a breath and steeling himself for what was to come, Kurt thought starting simple would be best.

"I'm not sleeping with Noah, or doing anything else you may have suggested on that little scrap of paper in English" as he said this a little fire returned to his eyes.

"Then why was he all over you this morning coming into school?" accused Mercedes her voice raised. It was clear that she didn't believe that he was being honest and the hurt tone in her voice stung Kurt. It also made him angry.

"He was saving me from being beaten up and thrown in the garbage alright!" he snapped at the girl before taking a deep breath and trying to control the sudden urge to cry. Realising she'd overstepped her bounds Mercedes attempted damage control.

"Oh Kurt, I'm sor..." Mercedes face was contrite but Kurt didn't want to hear apologies right now, he was too angry and cut her off,

"Don't you _dare _tell me you're sorry 'cedes. Just don't alright. You don't know what it's like. To live your life knowing that every day... every _single_ day you're going to be slapped, pushed, punched, spat on and thrown in a dumpster with yesterday's trash."

Unable to keep them at bay any longer, the tears spilled over in fat drops to run down his pale cheeks. Taking a moment to collect himself he fished out a tissue from his top pocket and dabbed at his eyes. In the stretching silence, Tina took the opportunity to ask a question that had been bugging her for a couple of minutes.

"Why Noah?"

Kurt looked at the girl in genuine confusion,

"Why Noah what?" he asked, hiccuping as replied genuinely confused.

"Why Noah and not Puck?" she asked the soprano. Kurt considered the question and he really only had one answer, clearing his throat which was scratchy from shouting giving his voice a temporary husky quality he answered.

"Because he doesn't want to be Puck anymore and because he asked".

Artie who had been silent up to this point decided to weigh in with a question of his own, fearful that if it came from Mercedes there'd be another blow-up from the smaller boy.

"What happened since yesterday Kurt? You left Glee in a foul mood cursing Puck's name and now he's saving you from being beaten up?" The puzzled expression on the boy's face belied the sharp mind already running through likely scenarios. If there was one thing Artie was good at other than math and singing, it was chess and he was already thinking a good 20 moves ahead in this little game.

Bracing himself Kurt outlined the events of the previous day becoming steadily more animated as he watched his friends become entranced in the storytelling.

"... and then he was laying there, soaking wet, coughing and completely naked!" Kurt paused for dramatic effect while Artie rolled his eyes at the blushing Tina. Before she could stop herself Tina asked the question that was first to her mind,

"So... what was it like? Y'know his thing..." Blushing even more fiercely than before, Tina put her head in her hands and groaned. Deciding that the question would give him the opportunity to clear something up that had been bothering him since the previous night Kurt answered honestly.

"I... I don't know actually. It was... kinda deformed." Tina's blush died instantly as the shock of the statement set in. Mercedes having had more experience with Puck than the Korean girl however knew what Kurt was alluding to.

"You mean the..." she said gesturing with her hands. Nodding emphatically Kurt asked,

"It's not normal is it? I mean it's not for me..." Realising what he'd just alluded to Kurt's face pinked slightly and he ducked his head in embarrassment.

The roaring laugh of Mercedes caught him off guard and for a moment the soprano thought she was laughing at him.

"Oh Kurt... that's too good... you're killing me here!"

Tears were running down the girl's cheeks and her ample chest was heaving she was laughing so hard. Kurt and Artie shared a glance of concern for the larger girl and as Mercedes saw their expressions she broke down in a fit of giggles once again.

Finally getting herself under control she answered the smaller boy who was now looking vaguely sick, whether for himself or for 'Noah' she couldn't tell.

"No... it's not normal Kurt. But then it's not bad either..." Looking at Tina she clarified her statement,

"Puck isn't exactly average-sized if you know what I mean... There's substantially more bang for your buck with Puck!" Mercedes grinned at her rhyme seemingly pleased with herself as Tina's blush returned again. The girl was on a roll now as she fired out another truly terrible pun,

"You're guaranteed a big tackle from that football player." Kurt had to chuckle himself at the look on Tina's face. She was red and gasping for air as she clung desperately to Artie's forearm.

_'It's a wonder the girl hasn't passed out by now' _thought Kurt noting the amount of blood being pumped to the girl's cheeks.

During one of their make-out sessions earlier in the year, 'cedes had come up close and personal with the baseball bat Puck stashed in his slacks. She'd never seen it – their relationship never having progressed that far – but she'd certainly felt it and knew that whoever ended up with Puck would never be complaining in that regard.

Realising that what he'd seen was not perhaps as bad as he'd first suspected gave Kurt the opportunity to re-examine the events of the previous evening. Feeling a distinct heat in his lower regions, Kurt was shocked to find himself becoming aroused at the thought of Noah's manhood. Surreptitiously palming himself through his pants as he crossed his legs Kurt cleared his throat.

"Well... now that we've cleared that up. Thank you ever so much Tina..." - the girl just waved helplessly from her slumped position as she gasped for air.

Withdrawing and checking his pocket watch Kurt realised that he'd been relaying his tale to the trio for the best part of an hour now. Quickly he outlined the rest of the events of the evening, including the invitation from the jock to ride to school together and Kurt's subsequently accepted reciprocal offer.

"... and that's about it. When we got to school the first person to see me was Karofsky... I guess he hadn't seen Noah getting out of the car" said Kurt his tale reaching it's conclusion.

"Karofsky threatened to mess me up for almost making him late for class. Not like that Neanderthal even knows what room his class is in! I was ready to give in as usual... I'd forgotten that Noah was there with me so when he put his arm around my shoulders... I felt like I'd been saved. I was warm and I was comfortable and he was _there_, fighting my battle for me so I didn't have to."

The trio could clearly see the passion on Kurt's face as the events of the morning played out in front of his mind's eye. None were of any doubt that the change in relationship between the pair had been good for Kurt, even in such a small space of time.

"I felt safe in his arms. I think that's why I didn't object when he left his arm there and led me into the school. It's certainly not like I'm attracted to him or anything, I mean the guy's a pig."

Mercedes, Tina and Artie all snorted at the delusional teen in front of them but didn't say anything. Given time Kurt would figure it out on his own and that way their smugness would be that much more satisfying.

In the distance the foursome could hear the sound of the warning bell and realised that they'd have to wrap things up before they were late to their next classes. Mercedes however summed up for Kurt the trio's support of the soprano,

"Now that we understand Kurt, I think I speak for all of us when I say 'you go girl'" snapping her fingers and jerking her head from side to side as both Tina and Artie giggled at the diva and Kurt rolled his eyes.

"No seriously Kurt. I think this could be good for you so for as long as you want it you'll have my total support".

Kurt's eyes were suspiciously wet at his best friend's unconditional acceptance.

"Me too" offered Tina while Artie just nodded in agreement with his girlfriend.

Throat closing up and dignity thoroughly lost Kurt had the last word,

"Thanks guys but we're going to be late to class and I don't want another detention!"

As the group wandered off into the distance Artie's voice could be heard asking,

"So exactly why did you call Mr Kowalski a douche?"

* * *

As the foursome split up in the hallway to visit their respective lockers, Kurt emptied his bag and loaded in his books for Spanish that afternoon. As he was checking on his appearance in his mirror and applying more soothing drops to his reddened and irritated eyes he felt rather than saw the hulking figure of Karofsky looming over him.

Terrified but determined not to bow before the cretin in front of him, Kurt placed his eye drops back on the shelf and closed his locker door. As he turned he directed a superior smirk at the boy and decided to go for broke.

"I'm sorry Dave, I just don't think of you that way. I'm quite happy with Noah but thank you for the inquiry".

It was a dangerous game to play but Karofsky had been picking on him for no reason for years now. Maybe now at least he'd deserve his mistreatment.

Attempting to squeeze past the boy and beat a hasty retreat, Kurt winced as a meaty fist grabbed him by the shoulder and propelled him backwards into the lockers with a loud crash. The volume of chatter in the hall dropped markedly as everyone stopped to look at the obviously mismatched confrontation but did nothing to help the smaller boy.

"You're not going anywhere faggot. Not until I say I'm done..." the menace in Karofsky's tone was unmistakeable and Kurt was starting to doubt his sanity at having riled up the already psychotically obsessed jock.

Grabbing Kurt by the throat and squeezing Kurt's eyes bugged out in protest and his lungs started to burn with lack of oxygen. Finally releasing him Kurt sagged against the lockers, knowing a bruise would be forming on his neck even as he did so. He pale skin just bruised so easily.

Through watery eyes Kurt spotted the large cup in the jock's other hand, filled to the brim with ice blue corn syrupy goodness. Realising what was going to happen he closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.

…

_'Nothing... huh'_.

Cracking open a single eye Kurt was shocked to see Noah standing tall between him and Karofsky and aiming a glare at the larger boy that seemed to be giving him second thoughts.

_'Yay! Go Noah he's our guy, if he can't do it no one can!' _

Kurt realised he'd been spending too long around the Cheerios as his over-active inner cheerleader mentally jumped up and down and waved his pompoms in support of his protector.

Tuning back into the dialogue between the footballers Kurt realised a crowd had developed with 'cedes, Tina, Quinn and Artie on his side and a number of jock's in support of Karofsky.

"What's it going to be Puck?... Huh?... You're team or your boyfriend... either way one of you is getting this slushie..." said Karofsky swinging the slushie back and forth at the end of his throwing arm.

Kurt's heart sank in the knowledge that Noah would never choose him over the respect of the football team. He knew as well as anyone that football was Noah's best chance of getting out of Lima. He'd be throwing away the chance at a scholarship if he backed Kurt publicly over his team mates.

"Kurt."

That one word rang ominously in the silence of the hallway as the blood rushed through Kurt's ears and his vision started to grey around the edges.

_'He did not just choose me. He didn't. He couldn't. He shouldn't!'_

Before Kurt could put voice to his vehement objection however, to make Noah see sense, Karofsky had unleashed his throwing arm. Kurt watched in awe as the slushie arced the short distance between the two jock's to splash dead centre of the half-back's face, up and over his forehead and right in a line along his mohawk.

Wiping the syrup out of his eyes, only to have more slip down to replace it, Noah did what came naturally to him. With one quick step forward, a slight shift in body weight and a snapped fist upwards, Karofsky crumpled and hit the floor like a 'Grade A' sack of shit.

Before the violence in the air could escalate any further the tension was broken by the appearance, like an avenging angel of the Cheerios coach, Sue Sylvester.

Coming to a halt slightly off between the blue faced, dripping Noah and the semi-conscious and groaning Karofsky she simply prodded the downed boy with a tennis shoe, thereby eliciting more groaning.

Spying the forming bruise on Kurt's throat she decided that a little discipline was required. After all, if the Gay Kid's vocals were damaged by the meat head on the floor then the whole Cheerios squad suffered as a result.

Taking charge of the situation Sue started barking orders.

"You... Gay Kid... take Mohawk here and get him cleaned up before his eyes fuse shut..."

Turning from Kurt she then focused on some of the jock's who had been previously supporting Karofsky,

"You... Snake Eyes" said Sue pointing to one jock who due to his unfortunate condition thought she was pointing at the guy next to him. "...pick up Charlie Chump here and get him out of my sight before I vomit on his head."

As the jock moved forwards to assist Karofsky to his feet she added,

"I want you to take him to my office Snake Eyes and I want you to stay with Charlie Chump until I arrive... and don't touch my trophies."

Shuffling away in the direction of Sue's office, Snake Eyes led a still out of it and probably concussed Charlie Chump down the hallway and around the corner out of sight.

Turning to leave, evidently satisfied with herself, Sue spotted Kurt still standing immobile beside Noah, whose blue face was starting to resemble the face pack the soprano had been wearing the prior evening.

"Hey... Gay Kid... scram... vamoose... mince... get going already."

Kurt shook himself out of his shock and hurriedly grabbed hold of the now blind Noah's hand. As he began to lead the half-back in the direction of the nearest bathroom, his eyes pleaded with Mercedes to wait for him and he was gratified to receive a nod in return.

They'd _all_ be waiting for him. Not one of them had missed Kurt taking Noah's hand to lead him away.

Finally satisfied Sue turned to stalk down the hallway to her office to deal with Snake Eyes and Charlie Chump when she loomed over a shock stricken Artie who had parked himself right in Sue's way.

"Hey... Wheels... get out of my way before I use you as a skateboard..."

Artie had clearly frozen in fear and it was only quick thinking by Tina that saved him from having Sue follow through on her threat. Grabbing the handles of his wheelchair Tina hurriedly wheeled Artie out of the path of the rampaging Cheerleading coach.

Realising the show was over, the crowd dispersed, every single one of them now late to their next period classes. In the now deserted hallway, Tina, Quinn, Mercedes and Artie waited anxiously for the reappearance of their friends.

* * *

**A/N: This feels like a good place to end after a marathon writing session. There was just so much I wanted to get done in that chapter that this was the first point I felt I could insert a proper break without disappointing myself.**

**I absolutely love writing Sue Sylvester. That was so much fun.**

**I hope you like the extra long chapter. **

**PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU LIKE. PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU DON'T. EITHER WAY PLEASE REVIEW!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: Day 11 in the Glee writing house... I feel like the continuity announcer on Big Brother, except my Geordie accent sounds Eastern European! Thank you all sooo much for your wonderful reviews. I was really pleased with how the last chapter turned out and I'm glad you were too.**

**Oh, and SiNginG-SenSaTion... Noah's manhood is not kinda hot... it is TOTALLY hot! More meaty goodness from little-noah promised for later you have my word. I'm reminded of an old advert for dog food... **

**"Noah Puckerman... full of meaty goodness..." lolz. Hmm... that gives me an idea actually... :-)**

**Anyway, onwards... and backwards... just a bit**

**Chapter Eleven.**

* * *

Having abandoned all plans of going to football practice, Noah found himself at a loose end. He was too worked up now to sit still on the football field like he'd planned. He wanted to hit something some more. And keep hitting it. A lot.

Stalking down the corridor he was gratified to see the few clusters of people who were not in the lunch room queue at that very moment, parted in front of him like Moses and the Red Sea. If just one more person whispered or giggled in his direction he was liable to rip out their throats and play a jaunty tune on their windpipe.

Keeping his anger stoked Noah decided he'd use the opportunity of skipping practice to call in a favour. One he'd been sitting on for almost a year...

Unbeknownst to any of the other Glee club members, back in his Puck days, Noah had been recruited by Sue Sylvester. Not to spy on the Glee club as you might have imagined, Sue had her Cheerios for that task after all, why would she need Noah. No...when Noah said recruited, what he actually meant was he was hired.

Sue Sylvester had worked very hard to keep her personal life and professional image as separate entities. After all how would she ensure that the mindless sheep of Western Ohio listened to an internationally recognised cheer-leading coach if they knew that she'd once slept with a 16 year-old pool boy?

Initially Sue had tried to rationalise that nobody needed to know. The pool boy 'Fuck-a-Duck' or whatever; she hadn't been interested in his name, settling for calling him Mohawk for now, had been an extremely _'gifted'_ young man and he managed to _'unclog her pool filter'_ in time for her sister's monthly visit from the nursing home.

Mohawk had just finished clearing up when Sue's sister had arrived in the nursing home's minibus. Puck was well schooled in sexual blackmail and so he knew that he was in the position of power now in his relationship with the Cheerios Coach. Deciding to stir the pot some he'd politely assisted Jean from the minibus and escorted her to the shell-shocked Sue who was rooted to the porch just staring.

Realising that now was as good a time as ever Puck winked at Sue over Jean's head and he saw the fearsome Sue Sylvester pale slightly. Clearing her throat she tried to cover up her apprehension with a polite conversational tone,

"Thank you for all your help. Your check will be in the post tonight. Oh and for your _extra_ help, how 'bout I owe you one?"

The even tone of Sue's voice belied the look of fear in her eyes. Everything she'd worked for, all her fame and power in the Western Ohio district, could be brought crashing down by this one meat head of a jock.

Considering the offer, Puck tilted his head to the side and scrunched his nose in what Sue assumed was deep thought for the jock. In actuality Puck had already decided the offer was good, he was just playing now for effect. Having a favour from Sue Sylvester would probably be worth it's weight in gold were he to save it for the right moment, so he nodded in acceptance and watched as the fear retreated and the Sue Sylvester he'd known and despised reasserted herself.

"Right then Mohawk. Thanks again, you'll show yourself out?"

Sue had phrased the sentence as an question but it was clear from her body language that she wasn't expecting an answer. Threading her arm through Jean's she had already turned towards the door and was greeting her sister in hushed tones. Much softer tones than Puck had ever heard the Coach use before...

Puck packed up and tore out of there before Sue decided to break out a hunting rifle and come after him. He still to this day checked his window was locked each night to make sure she couldn't steel in and smother him in his sleep. He'd also become paranoid of receiving a kitty-cat as a surprise gift thanks to Mr Schue's overheard mutterings as he'd worked on a piece of sheet music one time...

* * *

Arriving now at the Coach's office, Noah concentrated and brought out his Puck persona once again. As much as he hated to do so, he truly _wanted_ to be Noah from now on, Sue had never met Noah so his bargaining power would be enhanced this way. He rapped smartly on the red lacquered wood and received a curt acknowledgement from Sue to get in the room and stop hovering like an idiot.

As Noah let the door close softly behind him, he spied Sue on her cross-trainer, wearing her eponymous red tracksuit and with a white towel slung across her shoulders. Realising who it was that had dared disturb her during her lunchtime workout she slowed the exercise machine to a halt and slipped off and behind her desk.

"Mohawk..." said Sue, unwilling to give an inch to her erstwhile blackmailer.

"Cougar..." replied Puck with a nod to the Coach.

The silence between the two stretched. And stretched as each stared at the other, neither willing to blink or concede. To concede would mean defeat. In the end Sue's nerves betrayed her and she blurted,

"Favour."

It wasn't a question. The jock in front of her wouldn't be here now unless he planned to cash in his one-time-only Sue Sylvester favour-chit.

Tilting his head in acknowledgement of the Coach's deductive reasoning skills he continued to stare and Sue got more unnerved.

_'Get it together Sue, this is a 16-year old kid you're dealing with not an armed terrorist. Treat him like you would a terrorist, rip off his arms and beat him over the head with them!'_

Sue's introspection was interrupted when Puck offered two words into the room,

"Kurt. Hummel."

Sue looked at the jock incredulously,

"The Gay Kid?" she asked, what could the jock possibly want her to do for him about the Gay Kid?

Puck nodded his head.

"What... you want me to punish him? Make him cry? Take him to the Mall for chilled mocha drinks and some ass staring?" None of the scenarios in Sue's head prepared her for the next words from the boy in front of her.

"I want you to help him. He's going to need support, faculty support..." he elaborated.

Sue was impressed by the eloquence of the meat head. Clearly she'd underestimated this Truck or Duck or, oh who the hell cares?.

"There is going to be some _friction_ between Kurt Hummel and Dave Karofsky."

Sue nodded along knowing full and well which meat head was Karofsky, she'd given him enough detentions for attempting to molest her Cheerios in the past. She wanted to know however why this jock wanted to intercede though, it wasn't the natural order of things and Sue liked the natural order of things.

"OK. And you want _me_ to back the Gay Kid and punish the meat head". Noah did well not to flinch at the 'meat head' reference, after all he was still a jock himself.

Tilting his head again in confirmation, he was relieved to see Sue nod in acceptance.

"Agreed. I will help _you_ protect the Gay Kid. I will not however stop anything from happening. That will be _your_ job. I will however punish any indiscretions from your fellow meat heads. You will of course be exempt from any repercussions."

An unexpectedly primal feeling in Noah's chest roared in triumph realising that was actually a pretty sweet deal, while he kept tight a reign on his facial expression.

"Agreed".

Conversation over, Sue broke out a huge tub of protein powder and dismissed Puck,

"OK. Then we're done here. I do this and we're even. Now get out of my office, you're stinking the place up with... is that Sandalwood?" she asked wrinkling her nose in disgust.

Puck got out of Dodge and by the time the door had closed behind him, Puck had withdrawn and Noah was back in charge.

* * *

Noah smiled as he strutted down the hallway from Sue's office. It was reassuring to confirm that though Puck was an undeniable badass, Noah could be too when the situation called for it.

As he turned the corner by the library doors, he squeaked in surprise as a small but powerful arm grabbed him and pulled him inside.

Righting himself and smoothing out his rumpled shirt, trying to pretend that he hadn't just squeaked like a girly mouse, he looked down at the amused face of Q.

"So...?" she asked, a grin splitting her face.

"So...?" he mimicked his friend refusing to rise to the bait.

"Noah and Kurt sittin' in a tree... K I S S I N G..." she sang in a childlike voice. Quinn was having a great time ribbing her friend, who was steadily turning a most amusing shade of purple at her teasing.

"You and Kurt. What's up with that?" she asked.

"You know what's up, you were there remember?" he said blush now receding.

"Yeah I was there and I distinctly recall you stumbling through an offer to give your little sweetheart a ride to school in that rust bucket of yours".

Noah felt the urge once again to defend his Princess,

"Hey! You leave my Princess alone Q!..."

"And just which Princess is that Noah? Kurt or the Truck?" she teased.

Refusing to rise to the bait and desperately trying to shift the conversation from a direction he wasn't entirely comfortable heading in he groused,

"Better than that flouncy little yellow monstrosity you drive".

"Hey! You drove her too if you remember..."

Noah slapped a hand to his forehead dramatically before swooning,

"Don't remind me... Next time I'll just leave your fake-sleeping ass behind."

Though the words were harsh there was no heat behind them and Q couldn't but chuckle at his histrionics.

"So... what _is_ going on with you Noah? I've never seen you like this before...so protective. You're _focused_ somehow... 'Distilled Noah' - God what a horrible perfume that'd make..." she giggled at the thought.

Refusing to bow to her obvious need to humiliate him, Noah instead nodded in acknowledgement of the girl's overall point, knowing exactly what Q was alluding to.

"I... I like being the new me. I don't want to be the same Puck all the losers in this town expect me to be. But I think if I tried to be the new Noah around anyone else first, it wouldn't work. Kurt _deserves_ to be the one to decide whether this new me is a success or failure. His acceptance means more than anyone else in this whole damn town".

Quinn looked at Noah in sympathy, the emotion in his voice was difficult to deny.

"It's not going to be easy... but you know that don't you?" sounding a note of caution.

Nodding Noah agreed,

"Yeah, Karofsky is going to be a problem I think... he... well he '_attempted'_ to intimidate me earlier..." despite the confident tone in the boy's voice Quinn couldn't help but worry for him.

"Karofsky's a jackass Noah... you and I both know that. The number of times I've caught him trying to spy on the Cheerios in the showers." Q's nose wrinkled in disgust while Noah shot Q a lecherous grin at the thought.

Rolling her eyes at his childish antics, Quinn became serious again.

"You... you're _alright _though right? You're not _hurt_ or anything?" As she said this, she began fussing over the taller boy, prodding him in this sides and arms, legs and finally feet and started when Noah hissed in obvious discomfort.

Tears coming unbidden to her eyes, Quinn looked at Noah in concern before pushing him backwards until the back of his knees connected with a reading chair. He collapsed into it with a startled 'oomph'.

Thankfully for his studly reputation, with it being the lunch hour the library was deserted and there was no one present to see pint-sized and pregnant Quinn Fabray manhandling the larger boy.

From his now seated position, Noah had to look up to meet the blonde's eyes. She looked fierce, so fierce even Puck on his bravest day would have reconsidered engaging the girl in combat.

"Show me..." she demanded.

_'Oh god... the pink bunnies!'_ thought Noah, panic bubbling to the surface. Sealing his mouth shut in a thin line the jock shook his head furiously.

A growl came from the blonde who was clearly imagining grievous injuries like a missing or broken toe on the football player to elicit such recalcitrance from her friend.

"Noah..." she said in warning placing her hands on her hips.

Realising Mount Fabray was rumbling and there were no ding-dongs within a thirty-metre radius Noah succumbed to the pressure.

Hanging his head, he toed out of his sneakers which was substantially easier to do without socks, hissing again as his injured toe rubbed against the abrasive lining.

Quinn couldn't understand it, Noah clearly was in some discomfort but when she looked for the injury that Noah was obviously concerned about showing her, she couldn't see anything.

All she could see was a band-aid... with cute fluffy pink bunnies on it?...

She started chuckling... the chuckling became laughing... the laughing became guffawing, until the girl had to sit down in the chair next to Noah before her legs gave out from under her.

"Oh it's so cute Noah! Does it match your underwear? Shall I buy you some nail polish to go with it? Pink is so your colour... and the bunnies..."

The whole time Q was having a riotous time at his expense, Noah sat with his arms crossed grumbling quietly about traitorous best friends.

The laughter in Quinn died immediately to be replaced with a slightly breathy wavering tone,

"_Best_ friend?" she asked looking at him with suspiciously wet eyes. Noah looked embarrassed but forged ahead, running his hand through his mohawk in agitation,

"Well... yeah... don't make a big deal out of it Q..."

Sadly for his manly status, Noah didn't get a choice in the matter. Within a quarter of a second, Q had crossed the short distance between them and had wrapped the taller boy up in a crushing embrace.

"You... you're my best friend too Noah..."

Noah rolled his eyes as he held his friend who was leaning against him sniffling quietly. Trying to lighten the mood he said,

"Quit crying Q, this is supposed to be a good thing..." squeezing her slightly to convey the strength of his feelings for the blonde.

Leaning backwards in his embrace, which was not easy as a result of the pregnancy bump between them, Q placed a hand on Noah's cheek and gave him a small chaste kiss to his lips.

Taking hold of Noah's wrist she gently twisted it to better her vantage point, realising that the lunch break was almost over and that she'd need to collect her books from her locker.

She was just about to suggest exactly that when Tina burst in through the library doors, face red and clearly out of breath as she doubled over clutching at her knees.

Quinn looked at Noah unsure what would cause their friend to behave so strangely. Raising her head Tina looked Noah in the eye, still unable to form any coherent speech.

_'Wait... wasn't Tina spending lunch with Kurt?'_

Noah didn't need her to speak now, he could clearly see the panic in her eyes. Releasing Q, he waited for the confirmation of which direction to take off in, adrenaline starting to pound through his system.

A gnawing feeling began in the pit of his stomach as the few seconds Tina took to slow her breathing felt like hours to the half-back. In the end, Noah only hung around for one word,

"... Karofsky..." said the girl wheezing and pointing back in the direction she'd just sprinted.

Turning to Quinn he said,

"Get Sylvester...", before tearing off in the direction of Kurt's locker.

* * *

Pelting down the hallway, heedless of the confused and sometimes fearful looks being thrown his way Noah skidded around the corner just as Karofsky released Kurt's throat and the small boy slumped bonelessly against his locker.

Seeing red, Noah shoved his way through the crowd of students noting with disgust that not a single one of them was intent on coming to the smaller boy's defence.

_'Pussies' _he thought viciously.

Just as Kurt had closed his eyes in resignation of another slushie facial, with his sneakers squeaking on the floor, Noah swept between Kurt and Karofsky and levelled his deadliest glare at the football player. He was glad to see shock and genuine fear in the other boy's eyes.

"I wondered if you'd show Puck..." said Karofsky a noticeable quiver in his voice. Noah realised quickly that the jock wouldn't be able to back down, not with his pack behind him baying for blood.

Swinging his slushie around at the end of his arm he continued,

"... the guys said you wouldn't _dare _show your face but I know you better don't I Puck?" Mocking laughter accompanied the statement from the other jocks, though they clearly had no idea why the statement was funny.

"So... what's it going to be Puck?... Huh?... You're team or your boyfriend... either way one of you is getting this slushie..."

Noah growled at the jock, the beast rattling at it's cage in his chest pleased at the flinch that resulted.

_'Can I do this? If I do this now and things break down between Kurt and I, I'll have no __friends left.'_

Looking to his left, Noah noted the Glee kids, Mercedes and Artie looking at him eyes pleading with him to protect their friend. From the other side, Noah could see Tina approaching shooting worried glances between Noah and Kurt.

_'For Kurt. Yeah... for Kurt he could do this. For Kurt's friendship he would do anything.'_

Squaring his shoulders he made his choice,

"Kurt."

The single syllable echoed around the hallway as dozens of interested spectators all drew in breath in disbelief. The only person he took notice of at that moment however was Kurt, and in the distance the unmistakeable silhouette of Sue Sylvester stalking down the hallway with Q struggling to keep up in her wake.

_'Love you Q'._

This was all going to be about timing now.

Nodding at Karofsky, he watched stony faced as the blue liquid arced in his direction only to connect with his face and wash up over the top of his head.

Wiping the moisture from his eyes, he sighed as it was replaced seconds later by more of the sickly sweet beverage. Sticking his tongue out he tasted grape, coincidentally his favourite flavour, though he'd never actually drunk a full slushie before.

Noting the imminent arrival of Sue just prior to blindness overtaking him again Noah decided that payback was a bitch.

Taking a quick step forward, Noah crouched and unleashed a wicked right uppercut straight to the jaw of the smug Karofsky. The beast in the Noah's chest roared again as the lights went out and Karofsky hit the floor with a meaty smack.

_'Yeah, he'd made the right choice alright. THIS feeling was what friendship was all about.'_

_Noah's timing had been absolutely perfect. The moment that Karofsky had connected with the tiles, Sue had pushed her way into the middle of the ring of spectators and begun barking orders. _

_Though he couldn't see her, if he opened his eyes, the corn starch stung his eyes too badly, Noah could picture Sue as she delivered her cutting tirade. He'd growled at the Coach involuntarily when she'd called Kurt "Gay Kid" however the noise was swallowed up by the echo of Sue's booming rhetoric. _

___'His name is Kurt... cried the beast in Noah's chest...'_

_Trying to reign in his emotions as proving to be an extremely difficult task for Noah. His main priority at that very moment was to see Kurt, to make sure he was OK and then to dismember Karofsky one meaty-chunk at a time. _

_"Hey... Gay Kid... scram... vamoose... mince... get going already."_

_Feeling a smaller hand take his, through the odour of grape assaulting his senses, he smelled the familiar fragrance of sandalwood and Chanel. _

___'It must be Kurt'__ he reasoned. _

_Threading his fingers through the smaller hand, he squeezed slightly and allowed himself to be led, hopefully to the nearest bathroom. His eyes were ____really__ starting to sting._

_As he heard rather than felt a door being pushed open ahead of him, a puff of cool air washed over him and he grinned as he heard Sue's final shot at Artie._

___'Sue Sylvester... I'm going to clean your pool for free for a year...'_

* * *

_**A/N: And there we have it. Chapter 11 all done and dusted. **_

_**I'm really starting to get into the swing of this story now, I also have to thank one eagle-eyed reviewer who pointed out I'd referred to Atticus Finch instead of Scout Finch in the previous Chapter. Once I've finished this story I intend to go back and beta it properly.**_

_**For the moment though I'm literally doing my own beta'ing while I'm thinking of the next plot point, so apologies for the little discrepancies.**_

_**PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU LIKE. PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU DON'T. EITHER WAY PLEASE REVIEW! **_


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: Wow, I'm now up to 33 reviews which has exceeded even my wildest expectations. I really expected that people would hate my story and that I'd be discouraged from finishing. Instead here I am with wonderfully supportive readers and I'm working into the night on my second chapter in one day.**

**Thank you all so much.**

**Kudos to the first person to spot the nod to Will & Grace in this Chapter...**

**Chapter Twelve – Tears for Beers  
**

* * *

Kurt was in shock as he led Noah by the hand to the nearest bathroom. Once the door had swung shut the heavy silence of the empty space offered plenty of time for each of the boys to gather their thoughts.

Dropping the football player's hand, Kurt busied himself with the manual task of setting out his 'anti-slushie' kit on the worktop. As he tried to penetrate the fog that had settled over his thought processes, he couldn't help but repeat a single phrase over and over again,

_'He chose me... He chose me... He chose me...'_

Leaving the visually impaired football player for a moment, Kurt ran the faucet and the steady sound of tricking water was a welcome distraction from the silence of moments before.

Allowing himself only a moment to break down in case Noah heard him, Kurt released a silent sob before viciously stamping down on his raging emotions.

_'There'd be time to break down later – right now Noah needs me.'_

While he'd been huddled against the locker, Kurt had observed Noah. The taller boy had held himself ramrod straight, tensed, like a coiled spring. Noah had been magnificent. He'd stood up to not only Dave Karofsky but also to his braying group of lackies and he'd refused to back down. He'd been given an ultimatum – choose his reputation or choose him.

Kurt had fully expected Noah to choose his own future over the possibility of a friendship between them. But when he hadn't, Kurt realised that everything the boy had been doing, everything the boy had been saying over the past 36 hours was the truth.

_'And you shall know him... and the truth shall set you free'_.

With steam now billowing from the hot water running in the sink, Kurt mixed it in with some cold, filling the basin with a shallow pool of lukewarm water.

Turning to the still patiently waiting Noah, Kurt took his hand again and smiled gently as the still silent boy squeezed it in thanks. He gently manoeuvred Noah into position in front of the sink.

Afraid to break the silence but realising that he'd have to he spoke softly,

"This might sting a little..."

Receiving a nod in affirmation from the footballer he dipped a cotton ball into the water.

Kurt ghosted his fingers along Noah's chin, tilting his head up into the light as he ever so gently ran the cotton ball over the footballer's slushie encrusted eyelids.

Years of practice had meant Kurt was extremely efficient at cleaning up slushie aftermaths and so in short order both of Noah's eyes had been rinsed and dried.

"... thank you..." came a gruff whisper from Noah, as he cracked open his eyes relieved to be able to see without experiencing the burning sensation of the past few minutes.

Offering a smile to the soprano, Noah was hurt to see that Kurt would not meet his eyes.

_'Did I scare him before? Is he angry with me for hitting Karofsky?'_

A myriad of possible scenarios ran through Noah's mind; none of them were encouraging to the boy.

As Kurt turned to retrieved a further cotton ball from the counter, Noah placed his hand over his own stilling his movements.

At the physical contact, Kurt could feel the walls he had built around his shattered emotions crack slightly and his shoulders hitched as a lone tear ran down his cheek.

Refusing still to meet the other boy's eyes, Noah reached up with his other hand and gently wiped away the tear from the smaller boy's face with the pad of his thumb.

No words were exchanged as Noah simply opened his arms to the soprano whose face crumpled in anguish as he launched himself at the larger boy and clung to him like a drowning man to a life preserver.

Kurt's shoulders heaved as great gulping sobs escaped him as he vented all the fear he'd felt for both himself and for Noah over the past twenty minutes. Noah could feel his tee getting damp as Kurt cried himself out. He didn't care.

"... shh, it's going to be alright Kurt... it's going to be alright" he offered while rubbing his hands up and down the smaller boy's back.

Noah cursed his libido when his body decided that the physical form, male or not, currently rubbing against him was sufficient reason to send blood pooling to his groin.

Shifting his weight, Noah attempted to disengage slightly from the human limpet which had suctioned himself to his body. All too soon however he realised that it was too late.

Through his hiccups, Noah heard a short exclamation of surprise from the soprano,

"Oh... oh my..."

Face burning in shame, Noah broke Kurt's hold on his torso and stepped back as he mumbled an apology,

"I'm... I'm sorry Kurt... I didn't mean, it wasn't you... I mean it was you but..."

Kurt silenced him with a finger placed over his lips as he looked the jock in the eye.

"It's alright Noah, I'm flattered really..."

_'God what's happening to me? I just got turned on by another dude!'_

Kurt could see Noah was clearly troubled by what had just happened and not wishing to make things any worse, he cleared his throat and moved to stand over the sink.

"Um... if you use this cleanser you should be able to get the rest of the corn syrup off your skin. I use it all the time... it's very good for your... skin..."

Kurt realised he was now rambling to fill the awkward silence and quickly shut up.

Looking to Noah, he realised the boy was still off in a world of his own but to his credit he was mechanically washing his face with the cleanser without argument. One comment did surprise Kurt however...

"mmmmm.. Sandalwood..." said Noah breathing deeply.

Raising an eyebrow at the jock Kurt couldn't help but ask,

"You... you like Sandalwood?"

Noah jumped as if only now realising that his statement had been aloud. Collecting himself he framed a reply.

"Uh... not really... I mean I guess, it's just well... it sorta reminds me of you..." a light tinge affected Noah's skin though Kurt couldn't tell if that was from the heat of the water or from embarrassment, "... that and Chanel perfume. It's a strange combination but I kinda like it. It suits you."

Kurt blushed at the admission that Noah liked the way he smelled. Then realising that the bath from the previous night had Sandalwood crystals infused into it, everything fell into place.

Before matters could get any more surreal there was a gently knocking on the bathroom door before four sets of eyes peered round the edge of the door. It was Quinn who spoke first.

"Uh... hey can we come in?"

Kurt looked to Noah realising that the moment had passed and he felt a pang of loss. Nodding to the blonde he chuckled as Artie reminded the room,

"I'd just like to point out that as the proud owner of a fully functional penis, I don't have to ask permission to come in."

Mercedes and Quinn rolled their eyes at the bespectacled teen as Tina wrapped her arms around Artie from behind before saying in a lusty voice,

"Yes Artie... you certainly do..." before giggling as Artie flushed with embarrassment.

"Are you guys OK?" asked Quinn as she inspected Kurt's throat, grimacing at the hand-print sized bruise already forming on the pale skin.

Nodding his head a little too emphatically Kurt projected false cheer into his voice; feeling distinctly uncomfortable at the scrutiny the girls were putting him under,

"I'm fine... Noah's fine... everybody's fine... well except Karofsky..."

Everyone chuckled at that as Artie played dead in his wheelchair much to the amusement of the room.

Kurt glanced at Noah out of the corner of his eye only to find the taller boy staring at him with a speculative look on his face. As soon as Noah realised he'd been caught however he looked away and Kurt was sure he could see a blush developing on the boy's tanned skin.

Quinn having spotted the looks being shared between the pair decided to have a little fun with them.

"Noah... just look at the state of your shirt its absolutely ruined..."

As if only now taking stock of his appearance Noah looked down at his crumpled and stained shirt. Nodding at Quinn's assessment, he slipped the shirt up and over his head in one smooth movement, his well defined muscles rippling underneath his skin tight tee as he did so.

Quinn grinned seeing her mission accomplished as Kurt's eyes glazed over as he watched Noah's every movement. Looking over at Mercedes she could see a knowing grin on her face too as she nudged Kurt in the shoulder to bring him out of his stupor.

Mercedes deciding she too could get in on the teasing of her best friend offered,

"Noah... just look at the state of your pants, they're absolutely ruined..."

Noah by this point realised that he was being teased but did not know why... he grumbled good naturedly as he flicked off Mercedes earning a round of giggles from the assembled gleeks.

"C'mon... let's get out of here, I want some non-fat yoghurt" said Tina as she moved to behind Artie's wheelchair and began wheeling him towards the door.

Packing up his bag, Kurt was a few seconds behind everyone in leaving the bathroom and jumped when he realised that he wasn't alone. Leaning against the door frame waited Noah, smiling and holding the door open for him.

Beginning to laugh and joke again, the group headed off to the lunch room to scrounge up some non-fat yoghurt to round out the afternoon.

* * *

By the time Kurt got home that evening, he was physically and mentally exhausted. Thankfully Noah had decided to hitch a ride home with Quinn which meant Kurt could drive straight home without having to make a detour.

Kurt was a mass of conflicted emotions. He felt adrift in a sea of uncontrollable tides, which pulled him from lust to hysteria to anguish to joy via a dozen other emotions and that was all within the last 6 hours.

Pulling the Navigator up outside his house, he noted his Dad's truck was not yet back and hopping out of the car, bag slung over his shoulder, he traversed the drive and entered the house.

Kurt always liked it when the house was empty. Not to say that he didn't like living with his Dad, he did. It was just when the house was empty, there was this feeling of so much space that he didn't usually get when his Dad was there and the TV was on.

Setting his keys and bag down on the hall table, Kurt wandered through to the refrigerator to grab a cold drink. Spotting the message pinned to the fridge,

_'Kurt_

_Gone night fishing with Hank and Lester, will be back tomorrow afternoon. _

_Be good._

_Dad"_

Opening the door and peering inside, Kurt was tempted to snag some of his Dad's beers. His Dad had already technically given Kurt permission to drink alcohol in the house if he wanted to, but only if he was around to make sure that he was doing so _'responsibly'_.

Given that he had the morning off tomorrow as it was a Friday, Kurt decided to become a rebel and snapped up a six-pack of bottles and a bag of low-fat chips, retreating to his basement.

Placing the beers and chips on his night stand Kurt plugged in his iPod and set it to shuffle. Using his teeth to open the beer top like his Dad had shown him, Kurt drained a third of the bottle before setting it back on the table.

_'God that tastes absolutely awful' _thought Kurt, coughing like a cat bringing up a hairball. Laying down on the bed he closed his eyes and tried to work out exactly how the day had gotten so crazy.

He supposed it started not today, but the day before with Noah. It seemed that everything that had happened to the soprano in the past 36 hours could be traced back to Noah. It worried the boy slightly that his feelings for the jock were so mixed up,

_'I'm supposed to be crushing on Finn... but here I am thinking again about Noah. About those deep soulful eyes, those abs that really are as solid as I thought. That massive bulge which pressed into my side earlier this afternoon. Mercedes was right it's fucking huge...'_

That was another thing that confused Kurt. Noah was straight or at least Kurt thought he was.

_'So why then was he getting turned on from hugging him?'_

Kurt was so confused! His hormones were demanding that he go find Noah right now, throw him onto the nearest flat surface and make out with him until he passed out from either hunger or exhaustion. He wasn't supposed to like Noah! This wasn't the way it was supposed to be.

Finn was supposed to realise that Rachel was a skank and that he'd be better off gay. That way he and Finn could be together and adopt cute little Himalayan whistle-kids together.

Kurt growled in frustration, grabbed the bottle of beer again and took another long drag,

_'2/3 gone now..."_

Deciding he'd rather be wasted than continue to torture himself with thoughts of a life he'd never have he tipped the bottle back again for another pull.

* * *

"One green bottle... sitting on the wall... hic... one greeeeen bottle... sitting on the wall... and if one... hic... greeeeen bottle should accidentally... oops..."

Kurt stumbled as he crossed his room towards the bathroom, inadvertently knocking over several of the empty beer bottles on his night stand.

It'd been a good couple of hours now since he'd arrived home and he'd already polished off 6 beers and the entire bag of chips. Now he was bored and wanted to dance.

Leaning against the frame of his shelving unit, Kurt unplugged his iPod, and by unplugged Kurt meant that he thumped random buttons until the sounds stopped coming out of the speakers.

_'Ooh, chilli fries... I want chilli fries...' _

Gripping the shelving for support, heedless of the CD cases cascading onto the floor in his wake, Kurt shuffled over to his vanity and to his cell.

Picking it up... and dropping it... Kurt fished it out of the tub of sour cream and licked the gizmo clean.

Grinning like a loon, Kurt flicked through his messages until he stopped on one from an unknown number.

_'Who is unknown number? Do I know unknown number? Is he in math with me maybe?'_

Deciding he'd investigate, he opened a drawer on his vanity and emptied the contents onto the floor beside him. Sinking down into the soft bundle, Kurt sifted through the assorted hats around him until he found his white deerstalker from when he was eight.

Stretching the fabric over his now far too big head, Kurt decided he now looked sufficiently like Sherlock Holmes to be able to do some first-class detecting.

Pressing the call button on his phone, he held it to his ear the wrong way up while the line clicked and then connected.

"Hello?" came the sleepy voice on the other end of the line.

"Is it me your looking for?" giggled Kurt before shushing himself.

"Kurt?" Noah's voice was concerned, "... have you been drinking?"

"Why yesh... I have Mr Unknown Number, did you know that from sharing my math class with me? My hat is making my head very warm so I'm not sure how much longer I can be talking to you."

"Kurt... what?" said an obviously sleep deprived and severely confused Noah.

"..." Instead of replying to the boy Kurt decided he'd rather blow raspberries... so he did.

"Kurt... where's your Dad?" he asked wondering what the best way to make him aware of his son's current condition was. It was so unlike Kurt to lose control of himself like this.

"Gone sleeping with fishes called Hanky Lester... he'll be back tomorrow." Kurt yawned and stretched.

"OK..." said Noah, resolve firming up.

"I'm coming over, don't leave the house."

"OK Mr Number Sir. The key is under the mate.. map... mat..."

With that Kurt pressed 'end call' and the cell screen went dark.

* * *

When Noah pulled up outside the Hummel house, he could clearly see that every single light in the entire house was switched on, bathing the entire yard in a yellow glow.

Hopping out of his truck, Noah jogged up to the porch, feeling the chill on his arms as he'd not bothered to change out of his sleepwear of pyjama pants and thin cotton sleeveless shirt.

Lifting the corner of the mat, Noah retrieved the key from exactly where Kurt had said it would be and let himself into the house.

What he saw when he entered caused his jaw to drop and for him to just stand in shock at the absolute devastation. There were feathers everywhere! On top of the table, under the table, all over the carpet and somehow, he realised attached to the overhead light fixtures.

Moving into the living room, Noah shut off the TV which was playing a re-run of Celebrity Squares and shut off all the lights. Figuring out a plan of attack he decided he'd search the house one room at a time until he found the little diva wherever he might be.

Having cleared the ground and first floors and shut off all the lights... and the blender which seemed to be blending a mixture of cake batter and german sausage, Noah ventured to the basement.

Thankfully while in the kitchen Noah had spotted a note on the refrigerator from Burt explaining where he was while his son was reducing his home to a chicken coop.

Snagging a sheet of paper that was pinned up next to the note marked, 'Kurt's code'... he made his way to the basement door. Entering the security code on the keypad, he heard the resonant thunk as the lock disengaged and he pushed open the door.

Silence greeted him and then... the distant sound of retching.

Hurrying down the steps, Noah took stock of the state of the soprano's usually pristine bedroom. Empty beer bottles were scattered about like bowling pins, there were chips trampled into the soft carpet and there appeared to be a large hand drawn cock on the vanity mirror, seeming drawn in red lipstick.

Shaking himself from his stupefaction Noah pushed open the door to the bathroom and found the object of his concern. Face down in the toilet, Kurt was heaving up the contents of his stomach and moaning pitifully.

Raising his head at the sound of the door opening, Noah could see the fear in his eyes.

"Expecting your Dad?" he asked and getting a shaky nod in reply.

"Feeling a little unwell?" he said nodding towards the toilet bowl. A scowl was his only reply followed by a hurried shifting as the soprano returned to calling Huey on the big porcelain telephone.

Shaking his head and running a hand through his mohawk, Noah filled a glass with water. Kneeling beside Kurt he proceeded to rub the boy's back in circles soothingly.

Finally when the boy was satisfied that he was finished, Noah pushed the plunger washing away the evidence of Kurt's excesses.

Passing the glass of water to the boy, he watched as the boy started to guzzle it down. Snatching the glass back before more than a third had been consumed he glared at the boy,

"Sip it. Slowly."

Kurt lowered his head meekly and accepted the glass back again, sipping tentatively at the cool liquid.

His voice was husky when he asked,

"What are you doing here?"

Noah raised a quizzical eyebrow as he asked,

"You don't remember calling me?"

Kurt's eyes widened to comic proportions as flashbacks of his earlier behaviour filtered through to his consciousness.

Setting the glass down on the tiled floor, he leaned his head against the cool porcelain and groaned pitifully.

Taking pity on the dishevelled figure before him, Noah stood and without a word, scooped the soprano up in his arms.

Kurt squeaked in protest before settling down in the strong arms which carried him from the bathroom through to the bed. Setting him down gently, Noah pulled back the covers before laying Kurt inside and tucking him in.

"Get some sleep Kurt. You're going to feel bad enough in the morning as it is. You don't need to be missing out on sleep too."

Kurt looked at the genuine warmth and concern in the other boy's eyes and felt so small and inconsequential.

Whispering to the boy, he extended his arm,

"Please... stay?"

Noah considered the request for a moment before nodding reluctantly. A sweet smile graced Kurt's face as his eyes slipped shut.

Noah stood and did a final check of the basement,

_'Bathroom light off – check. Windows locked shut – check. No kittens in sight – check'_

Making his way back through to the bedroom he could see that Kurt's sleep was not going to be restful. The smaller boy was tossing and turning already and moaning in his sleep.

_'This is going to be a long night...'_

Considering the couch, which was covered in what appeared to be sour cream Noah realised that there was nowhere else to sleep.

Pulling back the covers on the other side of Kurt, he slipped in between the sheets and groaned at the luxuriously soft mattress and duck down pillows.

Reaching up he extinguished the final light, the moonlight now the only source of light in the entire house.

Closing his eyes, he rolled onto his side and looked at the silhouette of his slumbering bed partner for the evening.

_'Oh Kurt... what am I going to do with you?'_

* * *

**A/N: Wahahahaha! I'm like the gift that keeps on giving! It's 2.10 am, I've been writing this since about 9.30pm and that's two chapters in one day. **

**Thank you to the reviewers who pointed out some discrepancies, I have been back and made some remedial repairs to prior chapters. **

**PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU LIKE. PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU DON'T. EITHER WAY PLEASE REVIEW! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: Wow, the response to the last two chapters has been phenomenal, I love you guys so much. SiNginG-SenSaTion – stop stealing my plot ideas lolz!**

**I spent 12 hours today writing 6000 words and then scrapped the lot as it felt as though I was pushing the story along too fast. Maybe I'll use it as a later chapter I don't know.**

**Chapter 13 – We're all going to die**

* * *

Having left the bathroom the group spent some time laughing and joking in the lunch room. The dynamic between the group was new, simply because before now none of the group bar Quinn and Kurt had met the new 'Noah' Puckerman.

To say that they were surprised by the difference in the boy was an understatement.

Sure Mercedes, Tina and Artie had sat with Kurt and had listened attentively as the boy waxed lyrical about the changes in the football player. But what they hadn't expected was how eerily accurate Kurt's claims were.

The boy sitting next to Kurt right now, laughing and joking with the rest of them was witty and charming and funny. He also seemed to be genuinely committed to whatever this was that he was trying to achieve when it came to his relationship with Kurt.

Still there was one person in the group that was still to be convinced and who felt it was her right as BFF to deliver a warning to the jock.

Finding a natural break in the conversation, Noah asked the group if anyone wanted a slushie. He chucked wryly as six out of ten eyes all looked at him as if to ask whether that was to drink or to bathe in and he held his hands up in mock surrender,

"Hey... I just ended up wearing one of the things and it was a bitch to get out of my hair... plus I've never actually drank one and I'm kinda curious" he admitted

The group laughed and as Noah stood Mercedes spotted her opportunity.

"I'll give you a hand..."

Noah wasn't stupid and didn't miss the silent conversation taking place between Kurt and Mercedes as the smaller boy was _clearly_ warning his friend off.

Placing a hand of support on Kurt's shoulder he squeezed gently. He was gratified to see that the smaller boy lent into his touch this time rather than flinched away.

Addressing the soprano but never taking his eyes from the momma bear in front of him he said,

"It's alright Kurt... I'm a big boy..."

That comment brought giggles from Tina for some unknown reason and a blush appeared on Kurt's face.

_'I'll worry about that later.'_

"C'mon Aretha. We're due a conversation I think..."

Sparing a glance at Q as he turned away, Noah was grateful to see the blonde's eyes full of support for him and he winked as he passed her.

The remaining members of the group watched as the pair walked in the direction of the slushie machine. Deciding to try to inject some humour, Artie started to hum the Funeral March.

Kurt levelled a glare at the boy, causing him to pause mid-note with an unrepentant grin on his face.

Deciding that seeing as Mercedes was likely about to tear into Noah, she should probably do some damage control with the rest of the group. Quinn cleared her throat.

"He's really not the same boy you knew as Puck y'know."

Kurt nodded seemingly in agreement with the blonde while Tina and Artie looked on with curious expressions on their faces.

Quinn's soft voice was sombre as she elaborated,

"The past few months... they've not been the easiest..." she said running a hand over her stomach as she got caught up in memories.

"Since... well since I got pregnant, Noah's changed. I can't say a lot, a lot of what he's told me is private and I'd never break his confidence..."

All three of her attentive listeners nodded in acceptance of that and Quinn was glad that they didn't push her for details she couldn't give.

"Noah's been angry and alone for a long long time, longer I think than any of us have actually known him. Being Puck I think made it easier for him to be the centre of attention. It was his way of standing out.. of being special. Puck was Noah's defence mechanism and he was defensive for so long everyone forgot it was just an act. Even him."

Realising that she'd already probably revealed much more than she should have she re-directed her thoughts and asked Kurt the question she'd been burning to ask,

"So how does it feel to have a big strong man protecting you like he did?"

Quinn smirked at the blush that blossomed on the soprano's face as Tina and Artie chuckled at his discomfort.

Becoming serious however, Quinn actually wanted to know,

"So... I have to ask... as Noah's friend, why Kurt?"

Kurt rolled his eyes at the blonde,

"Was there a sale on at the half-finished question store? I swear all anyone seems to ask me anymore is 'why'... why what?"

Looking at him pointedly, she phrased her question carefully,

"Why did you forgive him?"

Kurt pondered his response, knowing the strong relationship between Quinn and the footballer.

"I haven't..." he said, qualifying his statement when he spotted the glare being levelled at him by the blonde, "...at least not yet."

Accepting his answer for what it was, Quinn nodded for Kurt to continue,

"You guys all know what happened yesterday... so I won't go over old ground. The answer to the question is complicated..." he said looking to the trio for permission to ramble and receiving affirmative nods.

"I guess, it's been hard y'know, being me." he scoffed at how that sounded and rolled his eyes.

"That sounded so self-centred – what I mean is, being gay. Being openly gay, _in Lima_ was probably one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made".

The trio were surprised at the boy's frank admission, never dreaming that he'd ever been anything but completely committed to being who he was.

"Was it really that bad?" asked Tina, genuinely curious. She received her answer before Kurt even opened his mouth when she looked into his eyes. They looked haunted and far older than his years.

Taking a deep breath to clear the lump in his throat, Kurt nodded to Tina,

"It was pretty bad yeah... I mean the name calling I could take and I expected. The dumpster dives..." his eyes glazed over and he flinched involuntarily at the memory,

"... those were just humiliating and hell on my dry-cleaning bill. But the phone calls at 3am to my Dad just to let him know that I'm an abomination? The trips to the emergency room when some philistine got overzealous and decided that I'd looked at him the wrong way?"

"My Dad...he never signed up for that... I had never considered what my being gay would mean for my Dad."

Taking a deep breath he forged ahead,

"My Dad has tried to be supportive since I told him I was gay but I can tell sometimes – that he wishes I'd take it back... While Finn lived with us I could see the happiness in his eyes to finally have a son, even if it was a pseudo step-son, that he could watch sports with and relate to. He deserves to have a son who understands what a Quarterback actually does and who won't ask him to change the station so he could see ANTM..." at that the group chuckled softly.

A half-laugh half-sob broke from the smaller boy, who gratefully accepted the tissue offered to him from Tina and offered a watery giggle at the ding-dong silently pushed across the table by Quinn.

"They're just empty calories you know Quinn..." she smiled at him encouragingly as he collected himself.

"It was all supposed to be part of my 'Master Plan'. I would introduce my Dad to Carole, I would get them to fall in love with each other and in the process I'd snag myself a hunky boyfriend and I wouldn't be alone anymore."

Kurt dabbed at his eyes as his friends looked to him with uniform expressions of sympathy on their faces.

"Parts one and two of my plan worked well, perhaps better than I ever thought possible. It was nice for a while, my Dad was truly happy which is something I haven't seen in him since my Mom died."

Kurt took a sip from his soda and cleared his throat,

"I thought that maybe everything would fall into place and that I could make Finn fall in love with me. I thought that being gay in Lima wouldn't be as unbearable if I had someone to share it with. But then Finn used the word 'faggy' and my Dad went nuts at Finn and kicked him out and Carole left and my Dad was miserable and I _knew_ in his heart he blamed me. If I'd been straight then Finn wouldn't have used that word and my Dad wouldn't have had to defend me. Carole wouldn't have left him and the world would have kept turning. But... the whole house of cards came tumbling down around me and I was left even more alone again than I was before."

The bark of a chair being pushed back broke the confessional air of the conversation as Quinn moved round to Kurt. She knelt down in front of him with considerable difficulty, and embraced the smaller boy.

Kurt returned the embrace burying his head in her golden locks as he drew comfort from the girl. Glancing up over the top of her head his eyes fell upon Tina who was now crying softly into Artie's sweater-vest with Artie trying to calm her down.

Realising he'd never actually gotten to make his point, Kurt cleared his throat,

"So... in answer to your question. I didn't have anything to lose. If it turned out Noah wasn't being sincere then nothing would change. I'd still be the gay kid and he'd still be Puck. I'd still be thrown in dumpsters and he'd still be throwing me in the dumpsters. But if the Noah who sat on my porch and apologised to me was the real person... I had to at least give him the chance.'

As the words died off, the group all sat round the table in various states of dishevelment as Quinn in all her hormonal wisdom decided this was the perfect moment to drop a bomb,

"Plus you think he's hot..."

* * *

As Noah and Mercedes made their way across the food court to the slushie machine, each was silent as they tried to compose their thoughts.

Noah was well aware of how close Kurt was to Aretha and he realised that if he wanted any kind of friendship to work with the small soprano he would need the girl on side.

Mercedes was aware of how close Kurt was to realising his attraction to the boy beside her and that if she wanted to maintain her friendship with the soprano she'd have to tread carefully. She'd also read the signs in her former squeeze that he may perhaps be developing reciprocal feelings for her friend.

Picking up a slushie cup, Noah turned his back on the machine and leaned on the table. Holding the cup between his hands he began to nervously squeeze and twist it out of shape.

Mercedes was the first to break the silence barrier,

"I don't have to tell you what I'll do to you if you hurt my boy do I?"

The question was simple, direct and unequivocal – quintessential Mercedes Jones.

Looking the girl dead in the eyes, Noah kept his voice even and measured,

"If I screw this up, I might as well give up hope of being anything other than a Lima Loser."

Mercedes was honestly surprised by the impassioned tone of the taller boy's voice. She had no doubts at all that he believed what he was saying.

"I don't like you Pu... Noah. You've been cruel to my boy for so long I don't know why he's even bothering to waste his time with your punk ass. All I know is, Kurt is not like other guys" she said, sending a glare at Noah when he snorted in amusement.

"I don't mean that you jackass, I mean... he's a mystery. I've only been friends with Kurt for 6 months and I've barely scratched the surface of who the real Kurt Hummel is... that fabulous boy with his pretty clothes and his perfect hair... that's _Kurt_, the persona, not _Kurt_ the person."

Noah nodded in acknowledgement, a lump currently blocking his throat and preventing him from forming a reply,

"I know you all expect me to be up in your grill threatening that I'll cut you... and don't think that I wont if you deserve it... Just be sure you know what you want Noah... I see the way my boy's starting to look at you, even if he hasn't worked it out for himself yet..."

Mercedes was shocked to see Noah blush at that statement when she'd expected that the ridiculously confident Puck would have either bragged about it or loudly decried the homo being attracted to him.

_'Hmm, maybe he has changed after all'._

"...He's my best friend and he's been broken so many times and he's picked himself back up and put himself back together. And now he's seen something in you, _God knows what_, that has made him want to open up and trust you. Please _don't_ break him anymore."

The tears in her eyes confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt the sheer depth of feelings the girl felt for Kurt.

"I promise."

They were the only two words that Noah could think to offer the girl in front of him. Anything else would be meaningless platitudes.

Taking a deep breath and nodding to the jock, Mercedes motioned to the slushie machine.

"Grape please..."

The two made up slushies for the group side by side in silence.

* * *

Having drunk their slushies and talked about meaningless topics for a while, the group steadily split up for the evening. Tina had a standing appointment with Finn in the Auditorium to review potential songs for their Glee project, while Artie had an appointment with his doctors at the hospital.

As Kurt and Mercedes broke off to go to the Mall, Quinn and Noah made their way out to Quinn's car and drove home.

Entering the kitchen and sighing in relief Noah rolled his shoulders,

"God... that was tense for a while."

Nodding in agreement Quinn filled the kettle to make some camomile tea and while she waited for the water to boil decided to ask Noah a question that she'd been sitting on for most of the afternoon.

"Noah... why did you ask me to go get Coach Sylvester?"

Noah froze realising the answer to this question was not going to be well received. Still he and Q had a policy of nothing but honesty.

"We have an arrangement..."

_'That's honest it's just not being too honest'._

He still felt bad though, realising that he'd probably be best to catalogue the feeling and call it guilt from now on as he was pretty sure that's what it was.

"Noah... what kind of arrangement?"

_'Uh-oh... short answers obviously weren't going to wash this time'_

"Promise you won't get mad?"

Quinn raised a single eyebrow at him,

"No..."

_'Crap... oh well... Geronimo...'_

"I blackmailed her."

Clearly that was not the response that the blonde former head-cheerleader was expecting. Had this been a cartoon, Q's jaw would have impacted the floor as she sat staring at Noah as if she'd never seen him before.

The shrill whistle of the kettle on the stove shook Quinn out of her shock as she lifted the water off the stove and poured it into the little cup on the sideboard. Dropping in a bag of tea leaves she left the flavour to infuse.

"You?... You Noah Puckerman blackmailed Sue Sylvester?..."

Deciding that he'd better just tell her the truth, he answered honestly though he knew it'd just muddy the waters in the short term,

"No... Puck did."

The girl paused to consider the difference before a look of horror mixed with revulsion crossed the her face.

"Oh god... please tell me you didn't..."

Noah looked away in shame, unable to meet Q's eyes as she stared at him in disbelief.

"It... it was a long time ago Q, over a year..."

_'Yeah, as if that makes it any better... you slept with Sue Sylvester!'_

Quinn had turned a worrying shade of green, and was staring fixedly at the table top.

"You... porked Sue Sylvester... that's just fabulous... ew ew ew ew ew..."

"Hey! Hello... Jew here... I did not _pork_ anyone..."

Quinn glared at him for his attempt to crack a joke, she was seriously not in the mood.

"Ignoring the fact that you quite clearly have gone insane, what possible reason in the nine-circles of Hell could you have for blackmailing Sue Sylvester?"

The single word answer coupled with the absolute conviction behind it brought her tirade-train crashing to a spectacular halt.

"Kurt".

Quinn sat with a thump in one of the kitchen chairs, practically comatose and just opening and closing her jaw mechanically. While the lights were on, the owner had gone out for the evening. Deciding to use the girls stupefaction to his advantage he plowed on.

"I knew there was going to be more to come from Karofsky and I knew that it was most likely going to result in one of us taking a trip to the ER. I had a one-time-only no questions asked favour to use from Sue Sylvester and I used it to help Kurt. The deal was I dealt with the any physical confrontation and Sue would mop up with the discipline..."

Quinn looked at Noah in awe, finally understanding that for all his faults, he'd had the presence of mind to turn one of his greatest flaws, his womanising ways into a benefit for someone he cared about.

"I wouldn't expect to see Karofsky around school very much for a while. As I hear it he's now in anger management therapy with Miss Pillsbury five days-a-week and has had his football and hockey privileges yanked. There's even talk that he may have to repeat a year. So yeah, I regret now what I did to get the favour, but I don't regret having used it."

The passion and animation in Noah as he ranted at Quinn in defence of his actions, left her feeling in no doubt whatsoever that the boy had done what he'd done selflessly and in the best interests of the soprano.

As she watched the boy standing in front of the stove, his arms crossed defiantly over his chest she stood from the chair, tea long forgotten and hugged him tight around the middle. Feeling the tension in his body flee, Noah relaxed into the hug and returned the embrace placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"Thanks Q. Love you" he murmured as Quinn couldn't help but contemplate,

_'He'll make the perfect boyfriend for Kurt... if he gets his head out of his ass.'_

* * *

His heated clearing of the air with Quinn earlier in the evening had done nothing for Noah's already stressed out mood. His talk with the Glee kids and the inevitable confrontation with Aretha had left him emotionally and physically drained.

After he'd take a walk round to the Hummel's place, remembering Kurt wouldn't be there as he had plans to go to the Mall with Aretha, he had picked up his truck and drove it back home.

Quinn had retreated to the bathroom to wash her hair, which meant that Noah would be alone for pretty much the rest of the evening.

Eating microwaved Chinese take-out and sitting alone in front of the TV he attempted to watch various TV shows but his heart really wasn't in it.

Finally giving up halfway through an episode of South Park which would have normally had him laughing riotously, he realised he hadn't even cracked a smile. That would probably have something to do with the fact that he had done nothing but think about Kurt all evening.

Noah had noticed that after he'd returned from his heart to heart with Aretha that though the conversation had remained light, Kurt seemed troubled and hadn't really participated. This had caused Noah to worry that he was upset about something. And Kurt being upset, upset the beast in his chest.

Switching off the TV, he padded up the stairs to his room, changing into his pyjama pants and a thin cotton shirt.

Plugging his cell in to charge, he set his alarm and sank bonelessly into his mattress.

He was roused unceremoniously some time later again to the strains of AC/DC,

_'Really need to change the ringtone' _he groused as he reached blindly for the source of the disturbance.

"Hello?" he said yawning down the line.

"Is it me your looking for?" came a giggling voice which then shushed itself rather loudly.

Though his brain was still languishing under a cover of fog he recognised the high pitched voice instantly.

"Kurt?" he said concerned, "... have you been drinking?"

Noah's listened intently as Kurt babbled on about hats and math class.

"Kurt... where's your Dad?"

He listened again to the incessant babbling.

_'What the Hell is a Hanky Lester?... wait... hold on he said he's alone?'_

Throwing on his sneakers, Noah scribbled a note out on the pad by the phone for Q and replied to Kurt,

"I'm coming over, don't leave the house."

* * *

Arriving at the Hummel house and letting himself in, Noah busied himself with trying to sort out the chaos the obviously hammered soprano had wreaked.

_'6 beers and he's done all this? Lightweight!'_

When he found Kurt faced down in the toilet bowl retching he'd initially wanted to tell the boy that it served him right.

However when the brunette had turned to him with fearful eyes, which softened instantly when he realised who was standing over him, all thoughts of denying the boy fled Noah's consciousness.

The beast in Noah's chest roared again and the protective urges he'd felt when around the smaller boy surged to the fore.

Having tended to Kurt and placed him in the bed, Noah had to resist the sudden urge to place a kiss onto the soprano's forehead as he told the boy to get some sleep.

The almost desperate pleading tone Kurt had used when asking Noah to stay with him, tore at his heart and though he wanted to refuse, wanted to run away from these uncomfortable feelings he was experiencing, Kurt needed him and he would not shirk that responsibility.

Pulling back the covers on the other side of Kurt, he slipped in between the sheets and groaned at the luxuriously soft mattress and duck down pillows.

Reaching up he extinguished the light, the moonlight became the only source of light in the entire house.

He closed his eyes and onto his side, looking at the silhouette of his slumbering bed partner for the evening.

_'Oh Kurt... what am I going to do with you?'_

* * *

**A/N: I don't like this chapter. At all. It felt awkward and cumbersome to write. I'm posting it though if only just to get past it.**

**PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU LIKE. PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU DON'T. EITHER WAY PLEASE REVIEW! **


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: Some sexual situations occur in this chapter – you have been warned. **

**Chapter Fourteen – Headaches and Hand-jobs**

* * *

Someone was shining a bright light into Kurt's face. Of that he was absolutely, 100% positive. Some vindictive bastard with a great big _fucking_ spotlight was trying to burn out his retinas.

_'Oh holy crap. My head feels like it's going to explode. My head can't explode... I have too many cute hats to wear - I need my head!'_

Even the little effort in staging his own internal monologue caused the soprano's brain to wave it's little white flag and duck back down behind the parapet.

Afraid to move. Afraid to crack open his eyes. Kurt stubbornly stayed still as a statue while he did a systems check.

_'Right arm – check. Left arm – check. Right leg – check. Left leg – asleep... but...check. OK so I haven't lost any limbs that's good...'_

Wiggling each digit on his hands, Kurt grimaced when he realised that something sticky had dried all over them. At least he was now satisfied that he still had some motor control.

By now the asshole with the spotlight had just about blinded him and so groaning with effort, _'Who knew eyelids could weigh so much?', _Kurt cracked open a single blood-shot and sleep encrusted eye.

_'OK... So I'm in my bed... that's good... there's my room... that too is good...is... is that a cock?'_

Kurt squinted at the vanity mirror which had been the unwilling recipient of his budding artistic talents the night before.

_'Yep...yep... that's a cock alright... and a massive set of balls apparently...' _A giggle bubbled up in the smaller boy's chest as he thought to himself,

_'That drawing must be three feet from root to tip... I must have been imagining Noah...'_

Kurt froze as his giggling caused something to rustle in the bed directly behind him.

_'Wait... what was that? Hold on... something's brushing against my leg...is that... it can't be... it is!...'_

With a panicked yelp of,

"SNAKE!..."

Kurt's uncoordinated body tried to move him as far away from his bed as it could. Unfortunately however in his rush to escape he hadn't appreciated that none of his limbs were ready to follow his head on it's morning odyssey.

Wrapped up tighter than Tutankhamun in a fitted white sheet, with a groan, Kurt collapsed off the end of the bed his face meeting the floor with a surprisingly soft thump.

_'Urrgggh... thank Versace I picked the extra thick carpet...'_

As Kurt lay there giving serious consideration to attempting to smother himself using the carpet he became aware of movement again coming from the bed above him.

Remembering the snake, Kurt started to listlessly thrash about within the sheet, trying to get himself free.

"... what are you doing? What snake?" said a sleepy voice as Kurt froze.

_'Talking snakes... oh shit, I'm Harry Potter...'_

"Kurt?... you OK?" there was definite concern laced in the tone of the mystery talking snake's voice that warmed Kurt's heart slightly. It was then that Kurt's brain chose to make a reappearance and some clarity was slowly achieved

_'No...oh god, please no... anyone but him..."_

Rolling over like the filling in a human spring roll, Kurt lay on his back looking up the ceiling as his blue eyes met the concerned hazel ones in the disembodied head of his worst nightmare, dangling over the end of the bed.

_'Oh crap... Noah!'_

Noah's face fell slightly as Kurt realised he must not have internalised that final comment.

Attempting to break free again, Kurt moaned as he expended more energy than he had _any_ right to have right now, jiggling about. Finally the sheet succumbed and Kurt was able to break free.

Panting and lying on his back, Kurt heard Noah ask him a very strange question,

"Uh... Kurt?... Not that I mind or anything, I mean you look very nice... but why are you wearing a yarmulke?"

Noah just stared at the boy above him...

_'Well that was a stupid question... I'm not even Jewish Noah...'_

Before he could object to the intrusion an arm had poked over the side of the bed and reached down, plucking something from his head that Kurt hadn't until now even realised was there.

Eyes focusing on the scrap of white fabric now suspended above him, Kurt could feel a powerful blush overtake him as he had a flashback of his earlier Sherlock Holmes moment.

_'Now my humiliation is complete...'_

Feeling the need to explain he stammered,

"... I woke up... and there was moving... and a snake, yeah a reeeallly big snake..."

His brain now catching up with itself Kurt realised in that moment that there was no snake.

The elves that stoked the furnace that kept his face hot worked double-time as Kurt tried to distract himself from the ghost of the memory of Noah's massive appendage rubbing against the back of his thighs.

As if reading his thoughts, Noah smirked at the smaller boy and had to take the opportunity to tease him a little... or a lot, it was early in the morning yet after all,

"Oh yeah, the snake... the dreaded _trouser_ snake..."

Kurt groaned again as he slapped a hand over his eyes, the sound of flesh meeting flesh echoing in the room.

"... just kill me now... I'm ready to give in... Satan, come get me..."

"...Satan can't have you..." said Noah, an undercurrent of possessiveness beneath the playful tone of his voice.

More rustling followed as Noah shuffled crab style to the end of the bed and stood up to stretch.

Kurt watched in fascinated awe as the jock's cotton shirt rode up giving the smaller boy a tantalising view of his rock hard abs from his current perspective.

Noah smirked to himself knowing exactly what he was doing to the smaller boy who was now lying on the floor with a dopey smile on his face.

Reaching down, Noah scooped the smaller boy up into his arms, Kurt letting out a startled moan at being jostled.

"I'm not a baby Noah, I _can_ walk..."

As if to prove his point Kurt swung his legs which were currently being supported by the taller boy's muscular arms.

"Of course you can Kurt... but isn't this way more fun?" said Noah, recalling exactly why he was being so playful with the brunette this morning.

* * *

It was stiflingly hot in the basement room as Noah gave up on sleep and sat up in the bed. Glancing at the clock to see that it was still ridiculously early, he gripped his shirt by the hem and lifted the fabric clean off his body, discarding it somewhere over to his left, having no idea where it would land.

Noah had taken the opportunity while lying in the dark next to a softly snoring Kurt, to give proper consideration to the irrational feelings he had developed recently when it came to the brunette.

He didn't know where the protective streak he'd suddenly developed had come from. Or why when he'd seen the mark on Kurt's throat from Karofsky's grip, he had suddenly become overwhelmed with an urge to baby the smaller boy and tell him that he'd make everything alright. That and to rend Karofsky limb from limb of course.

The thing that scared Noah the most however was that he _was_ perfectly prepared to baby the smaller boy. Something about the soprano's vulnerability sang to the jock like a seductive melody.

He'd already seen how protective of Kurt the other members of Glee club could be. Mercedes was fierce, Q he wouldn't want to cross even on his best day and though she was usually quiet and reserved, he could quite easily imagine that Tina was capable of some truly vicious retribution.

As he listened to the sound of the wind outside the house, he also considered his own physical attraction to the soprano.

Noah conceded that if Kurt were female he'd have had no problem with being attracted to him physically. The brunette was exactly his type. He was shorter than him, he was thin but not waif-like and he had the dark hair and striking blue eyes that Noah tended to favour.

_'Yeah he'd totally be my type'_

Noah sighed in frustration as he slung an arm out over his eyes. Even now lying in the dark beside Kurt, he could feel the heat radiating from the small body and could smell the musk of beer mixed in with the usual scents of Sandalwood and Chanel.

Groaning to himself he realised that his over-active imagination was a curse. He could literally feel his hands on the smaller boy, watching as muscle and skin undulated to his touch. In his mind's eye he could hear the boy's breathy gasp as he would pinch a nipple on the boy's pale chest and thereafter lathe the little nub with his tongue.

His cock twitched in response to the imagining, his body obviously deciding that Kurt was as good a reason as any to pitch a tent.

Reaching down with his free hand while keeping his other arm securely over his eyes, Kurt palmed himself through his pyjama pants.

_'God that felt good' _

Slipping open the fly, he reached inside and withdrew his rapidly stiffening appendage. Applying more pressure he built up a slow and steady rhythm as he stroked his cock up to full mast, the slab of meat hot and hard against the palm of his hand.

Breathing becoming unsteady Noah was shocked out of his fantasy to realise that he was lying in the dark, next to a drunk and slumbering Kurt Hummel, with his cock in his hand stroking himself. Noah hung his head in shame.

_'What was he doing? He couldn't do this...'_

Sighing in frustration he released his cock and tried desperately to think of un-sexy thoughts,

"Coach Tanaka in leather shorts... Coach Tanaka in leather shorts..."

His hardon remained stubbornly and alarmingly turgid.

Kurt shifted in his sleep beside him, rolling over and coming to rest in contact with the larger boy's side. Noah lay frozen in alarm at the possibility of being discovered, lying as he was in his prone position.

Noah's panic reached a crescendo when Kurt's arm snaked out over the jock's stomach as he snuggled up to the warmth of his skin.

_'I have to go... I have to leave, I can't stay here... what if he wakes up and catches me...'_

Decision made, Noah attempted to extract himself from the brunette's surprisingly strong grip. Finally managing to prise himself away from the slumbering soprano he stood by the bed, his cock twitching once more as Kurt grumbled and shifted at the loss of contact.

_'A shower... yeah a cold shower, that's what I need'._

Standing in the dark, Noah's eyes had adjusted some time ago to the reduced light levels. Creeping across the room as silently as he could, he noted with some amusement that his manhood was leading the way like a skin covered divining rod leading him to water.

Crossing from soft carpet to cold tile, Noah closed the bathroom door softly behind him as he flicked the switch bathing the room in light.

Turning on the shower, Noah adjusted the temperature to lukewarm but not freezing as he slipped out of his pyjama pants and under the spray.

The white noise of pounding water in his ears was a welcome relief for Noah. Standing under the torrent of water pouring from the power shower he tried in vain to drown out his own libidinous thoughts.

Even now, he could imagine Kurt was standing there right beside him, leaning into his side, the feel of the smooth skin of his smaller hands as he brushed them over the larger boy's torso.

Giving in to the inevitable, Noah gripped his hardon by the root and gave it one and then two deliciously slow pumps, flicking the pad of his thumb over the large spongy head on each pass.

Eyes slipping shut, he was completely lost in his fantasy world, the phantom lips of 'Ghost Kurt' tracing a path of fire over his lips, jawbone, down to his collarbone and onwards yet down to his chest.

Noah could clearly see Kurt in his mind's eye. The brunette's hair was wet from the shower and plastered to his forehead, his blue eyes were sparkling with mischief as his plump red lips attached themselves over Noah's nipple piercing.

"Oh god..."

Noah groaned and leant his head against the now warmed tiles as his hand sped up slightly, his grip tightening. The jock's jaw was strained with the need for release as he momentarily lowered his hand to tug on his heavy balls.

Noah was panting in need now as he imagined running his hands over the contours of Kurt's back, imagining how the smaller boy would shudder in response as they ran up and down the wet skin.

As Kurt sank to his knees in front of the jock, Noah looked down and groaned, realising that the view before him was one he would never forget.

Kurt's trusting blue eyes stared back at Noah before he reached with his small hand to wrap only partially around the substantial girth of Noah's appendage. With a smirk of challenge, Noah watched in awe as Kurt stroked his length steadily before he took the spongy head into his mouth, sucking hard.

"Oh my _fucking_ God!"

Kurt's tongue danced over the head of Noah's cock in ways that ought to be illegal. Noah was far too large for the soprano to take in more than a third of his substantial endowment. Kurt was not to be denied however as he impaled himself repeatedly on the fleshy spike, determined it seemed to take more and more of the cock while his hands wrapped around and pumped on that which he could not reach with his mouth.

Noah thought he was going to pass out as he felt the head of his cock squeezed by muscle and then Kurt _swallowed_, his entire throat contracting gloriously around the head of Noah's cock. Noah's hips jerked forward and it felt so unbelievably good. Kurt held his mouth open and simply welcomed each thrust from Noah as he felt his self control slipping. Kurt would occasionally groan in the back of his throat and grip Noah's hips tighter to keep himself steady.

Standing in the shower, Noah could feel his impending climax and though he didn't want the fantasy or the feelings it was sending coursing through him to ever end, he knew he could not hold out for much longer.

Pumping faster still he pictured Kurt's face, lips distended and wrapped around him and with a strangled grunt, Noah came, splashing his seed against the tiles of the shower cubicle.

Standing on shaking legs under the spray Noah tried to get his breathing back under control. That had been intense. Too intense, but at least now he had satisfied his libidinous urges and would be able to hopefully get to sleep.

He also accepted that he'd had an epiphany in his short time under the running water.

Noah Puckerman was definitely attracted to Kurt Hummel.

Rinsing himself off of all evidence of his mental wanderings, Noah switched off the shower, grabbed a towel from the shelf by the sink and dried off.

Slipping back into his pyjama pants, Noah stood at the sink, head bowed in prayer trying to work out what he was going to do.

_'You're still a badass Noah. You want him go take him, to hell with the world'_.

Realising that his crazy inner 'Q' voice was right, he was a badass, Noah decided he was going to take what he wanted. And what he wanted was Kurt Hummel.

The plan was simple. All he had to do was make Kurt Hummel want Noah Puckerman and he knew exactly how to do it.

Re-buttoning the fly on his pants, Noah flicked the lights off as he stepped back from tiles to carpet closing the door behind him as he went.

Retracing his steps, being careful not to disturb the still slumbering teen, he spotted his cotton shirt hanging from the back of a chair, snagged it and put it back on again. Crawling back under the covers, his eyelids now felt especially heavy.

Smirking in the dark, within seconds he'd drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Setting the soprano down on the counter by the sink like a small child he chuckled as Kurt glared ineffectually at the seemingly hyper football player. Unable to contain his curiosity despite his pounding headache and roiling stomach, Kurt had to know what was up with Noah.

"What's got you so cheerful this morning?" he asked while Noah wet a flannel in cold water and passed it to the smaller boy. Kurt leaned his head back and placed the cool cloth over his eyes with a sigh of relief.

Deciding that now was _not_ the time to get into that discussion Noah dissembled

"I just realised something that's all..." unable to wipe the grin off his face as he busied himself drawing a bath for the soprano.

Running his finger along all the different lotions and potions on the shelving by the tub, Noah asked Kurt before he could press him for any more details,

"Any preference?"

Considering the question Kurt answered,

"Something minty I think... speaking of mint, could you pass me my toothbrush? My mouth feels like a dog may have died in there."

Chuckling as he picked up a bottle of Mint & Tea Tree bubble bath, Noah poured a generous amount under the hot water tap.

Turning to the counter, he plucked up Kurt's toothbrush, ran it under the cold faucet and applied a small bead of toothpaste from the tube in the dispenser.

Removing the cloth from his eyes, Noah handed the toothbrush over to the smaller boy. He was warmed to see the genuine smile of gratitude in return for the small favour.

As Kurt busied himself with his teeth, Noah searched under the sink, locating a bottle of aspirin. After some trial and error with the childproof safety lock he managed to pry open the bottle.

_'Childproof my ass... it's like Fort freakin' Knox!' _he grumbled as he threw the bottle back into the cabinet as if it had offended him somehow.

Refilling the water glass from the faucet just as Kurt had finished rinsing out his mouth of toothpaste, Noah offered the glass to the soprano and placed the two aspirin into the palm of his hand.

Sighing in relief Kurt downed the pills before closing his eyes in relief,

"Noah Puckerman, I could kiss you..."

Noah's movements stilled at the words from the brunette who still had this eyes closed and therefore could not see the look of indecision on the other boy's face.

Realisation struck Noah as he realised that this, here, now was his best opportunity.

Noah shut off the faucet on the tub before turning to Kurt who was still perched on the counter.

From his vantage point higher than he would be on his feet, Kurt and Noah were now identical heights. So when Noah started to unbutton Kurt's pyjama top, blue eyes met hazel as he looked at him in both apprehension and arousal.

"Uh... Noah, what are you doing?"

Kurt's tongue darted out to wet his lower lip.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" asked Noah as if stripping the brunette was the most normal of everyday tasks.

"Um... you're taking off my clothes... but why?"

Noah rolled his eyes playfully at the soprano nodding in the direction of the tub which until now Kurt had not even noticed had finished being drawn.

"You need a good soak Kurt, one because you're hungover and it'll make you feel better..." Kurt grimaced at the word hungover but smiled at the promise of feeling better,

"...and two because you smell like a brewery." Noah continued.

Kurt blushed at the description as he surreptitiously sniffed his pyjama top before Noah slipped it off of his shoulders and found he couldn't argue with the jock's assessment.

Kurt's blush Noah discovered, extended from his face all the way down to just below his collarbone. Noah had great difficulty in controlling himself, flashbacks from his time in the shower assaulted his senses as he drank in the expanse of pale skin before him.

"Uh... Noah?" asked Kurt.

"Yes Kurt?

"I kinda need you to move if I'm to get in the tub..."

Noah shook himself realising that he was standing in between the brunette's legs as he sat on the counter. Traitorous thoughts assaulted Noah as he considered,

_'It'd be so simple right now to just kiss Kurt and have him wrap his legs around me...'_

Quashing his thoughts he focused on the task at hand.

Kneeling down, he peeled off Kurt's socks one at a time, showing off his basketball skills by launching them across the room and into the laundry basket.

Kurt's breathing was ragged now as he realised that he was sitting almost naked in his own bathroom with Noah Puckerman on his knees in front of him. He didn't know what was going on, one minute they were enemies, then they were friends and now... Kurt didn't want to even think about what they were right now.

_'Could they possibly be more? Did he want them to be more?'_

His confusion became genuine panic when instead of stepping back and going to leave the room as he'd expected, Noah gripped the hem of his own shirt and removed it in a swift motion.

Kurt's mouth ran dry as he just stared at the bronzed skin and amazing definition of the football player's pecs and abs.

Noah watched Kurt's reaction to his removing his top and the beast in his chest roared again in approval of the look of hunger in the smaller boy's eyes.

Kurt however had snapped his jaw shut again and was clearly regaining his wits as he asked,

"Um... Noah...what?"

Deciding now was the moment to spring his trap, he went all in.

"I've just spent the past 8 hours in the same bed as you Kurt, I smell like a brewery just as you do..."

Kurt just stared at Noah with incomprehension as words came tumbling unbidden out of his mouth,

"Oh, so you're going first?" he asked not entirely sure what response he truly wanted from the taller boy.

Shaking his head nonchalantly, Noah watched as panic warred with lust in Kurt's eyes.

"Why bother? The tub's certainly big enough for the both of us."

Noah had no idea how he'd managed to keep his voice steady thus far. His heart was pounding and he was terrified that his gambit was going to fail. He knew if he messed this up that Kurt would never forgive him. It really was all or nothing now.

Slack-jawed Kurt just stared at Noah for a few seconds, his alcohol addled mind struggling to comprehend what the handsome jock was proposing.

"You... me... there... together?"

Noah chuckled at Kurt's complete lack of sentence structure, earning himself a warning glare. Realising he'd better answer he nodded.

"It's not like I've got anything you haven't seen before..."

The realisation hit Noah however that his trust of Kurt might not be the reason for the soprano's reluctance. He decided to offer the smaller boy a way out should he really want one,

"Of course... if you'd rather not it's OK..."

Noah's voice was steady and he genuinely would give Kurt the option but inside he was chanting,

_'Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes.'_

* * *

Kurt was stunned.

Here. Now. In front of him _right now_ was an almost naked Noah Puckerman offering to share the same bath with him. The same Noah Puckerman who had become aroused by him just the day before and who had stayed with him when he'd asked. 48 hours ago they had been enemies but now the world had shifted off it's axis.

Kurt recalled the mocking laughter of his friends as he'd denied vehemently that he did not find Noah attractive. Kurt had been lying of course, Noah was pretty much the perfect guy, if he shaved off the mohawk that is.

Kurt started realising that Noah was right, the bath was certainly big enough for the both of them, after all he'd picked it specifically because it was large. Kurt looked at Noah and tried to work out exactly when the relationship between them had taken such a surreal twist.

He recalled the words Quinn had used the day before

_'Plus you think he's hot...'_

Could he take the chance and say yes to Noah's invitation? If he did what would it mean for their friendship? Would he use him and cast him aside? Steeling himself for rejection he asked a question of the jock.

"What do you want from me Noah?" his breathy voice hitching in nervous anticipation.

The football player gazed steadily at the soprano, the beast in his chest rattling louder than ever before.

Deciding now was the time, Noah took the plunge.

"This..."

and he kissed him.

* * *

**A/N: Another chapter down and finally, FINALLY we have the first kiss. Wooo! What will be the fallout? Will Kurt pull away? Will Noah pull away? Will they both have wild monkey sex on the bathroom counter or will they plunge into the bath together for some wet and wild action?**

**Answers on a postcard!**

**PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU LIKE. PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU DON'T. EITHER WAY PLEASE REVIEW! **


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: Thank you all for your kind words and no there won't be any pounding of mattresses in this chapter... unless I decide the kids have to film another commercial that is, sorry! Still I hope you won't be disappointed with what does happen... hold onto your butts people...sorry, I was watching Jurassic Park earlier and I always giggled at that line.  
**

**Chapter 15 – House of Cards**

* * *

As Noah's lips connected with Kurt's, the soprano's mind went completely, totally and utterly blank. Fireworks exploded behind his eyes and his existence narrowed until he could feel nothing other than the blissful pressure against his lips.

A desperate hunger overtook him and he found himself responding on instinct alone. His hands wound themselves around the jock's neck as he returned the kiss with a sudden desperate _need_ to be closer to the boy.

Noah's strong but gentle hand cupped his face while the other had moved to grip the back of his head and Kurt could feel the rumbling vibration from the other boy as he chuckled at the soprano's enthusiasm.

Noah lent into the smaller boy slightly, thrusting his pyjama clad hips gently against Kurt's pale stomach, showing his arousal quite prominently.

His hand slipped from the back of Kurt's head, across the boy's shoulders and down his back, to slip under the waistband of his pyjama pants. Squeezing the smaller boy's tight ass, Noah ground himself against Kurt a little more insistently than before.

Kurt could feel the pressure against his groin from Noah's arousal and heat poured into his own cock in response. He could feel Noah smile against his lips as he felt it too.

Noah's tongue traced the outline of Kurt's lips causing the smaller boy to gasp and allow the larger boy to slip inside as their tongue's duelled for dominance.

_'I'm kissing Noah Puckerman...'_

The unexpected thought jarred Kurt from his stupor as he with no small amount of regret forced himself to break the contact with the footballer's lips.

As he sat there perched on the counter with his chest heaving, he tried to gather his thoroughly scattered thoughts. Noah was not to be discouraged however and was attacking every inch of Kurt's neck with abandon as he nipped at his jawline and collarbone.

Kurt gasped at the riot of colours the jock was evoking in front of his eyes as he clutched desperately to the chest of the other boy. Making a decision, Noah's hand had slipped round to the front of Kurt's pyjamas and was palming his now weeping erection through the fabric.

_'Impressive for such a skinny guy... heh, my first feel of another guys cock... hold on Hummel I'm gonna rock your world...'_

"... mmm... so hot... yeah... d'you want me Hummel?... tell me you want me..." said Noah, completely consumed by the moment.

Kurt however was having second thoughts.

_'I... I can't...can't do this... stop... stop please...'_

"Noah..." said Kurt.

Noah slipped his hand inside the waistband of Kurt's pants and wrapped his hand around the smaller boy's arousal, pumping it's length slowly while rubbing the pad of his thumb over the tip.

_'Oh god...'_

Noah was furiously attacking the side of Kurt's neck, nipping and biting just behind his ear, running his tongue over the shell of his ear.

"...gonna fuck you Hummel... I'm gonna make you scream...and then I'm gonna tell the world..."

Kurt's stomach dropped and panic blossomed in his eyes.

_'No... he can't... he can't please no...'_

"Noah..." The boy pumped his cock faster in response and Kurt groaned aloud at the feelings it invoked.

"Noah...Noah_..._ _STOP_..." he said hands braced and pushing against the larger boy's muscular chest, causing Noah's hand to slip from the brunette's cock and out of his pants altogether.

The tone in the boy's voice caused Noah to pause and allow himself to be pushed backwards, away slightly from the smaller boy. Concern lit Noah's eyes as he looked to the soprano.

_'Had he changed his mind? Did he go too far? He'd gone too far hadn't he...'_

As he looked to the smaller boy he drank in the sight of his pale but flushed face and his swollen ruby red lips.

"_He truly is beautiful..."_

Noah watched as a blush suffused Kurt's face as he realised he must have whispered his last thought aloud. Kurt's expression however was that of pain and his eyes sparkled with a mix of...

'..._accusation and misery?'_

"What... why?... Noah..."

The hurt in the smaller boy's voice caused Noah's face to fall to as Kurt's face crumpled, tears welling up and spilling over his beautiful pale cheeks. Noah watched as his heart broke more with each passing second as the smaller boy averted his eyes from the jock unable to meet his gaze any longer.

"Kurt..." he whispered, clearly distressed at seeing the boy's tears but not understanding the reason for them. He reached out for the smaller boy to offer comfort, and the beast in his chest rattled it's cage in protest when the smaller boy flinched away from his touch.

Reason won over instinct as Noah realised that his current brand of comfort was not what the soprano obviously wanted or needed right now and so he didn't try to initiate contact again.

When Kurt opened his mouth to speak, his next words would cut Noah deeply, much more deeply than Noah would ever likely admit,

"You... you _promised_ me Noah... you said you'd changed..."

Noah didn't understand. He had changed didn't Kurt realise that? The Noah Puckerman that used to exist and who had been Kurt's principal tormentor had been supplanted completely by the Noah Puckerman that now stood before him. Plaintive eyes begged Kurt to realise this but Kurt clearly had other ideas...

"Was... was this the plan all along?... String the '_fag' _along, make him _care_ about you... steal his first gay kiss you so you can what?... fuck him and then tell everyone... I don't understand... what was the _point_ Noah?...'

_'Shit...I called him Hummel and said I'd tell the world I'd fucked him didn't I?'_

Noah's horror-struck realisation was ignored however when Kurt continued on,

"... is that why you... you came over last night?... why... why didn't you just _rape _me in my sleep then... I couldn't have fought back..."

Noah was horrified that Kurt could think him capable of such a despicable act. Clearly however he did and his attempted explanation fell on deaf ears as Kurt cut him off,

"What? Kurt... no, I never..."

"...please... just go Noah..."

_'...meant it like that...'_

Noah was about to object, a rising desperation in him to refuse to leave. To stay despite the soprano's demands and to get Kurt to understand that he'd misunderstood.

_'I have to make him see... I have to...'_

His intended words died on his lips however as Kurt landed the final knock-out blow,

"I have no intention of being another notch on Puck's bedpost... I can't believe I ever forgave you..."

Kurt seemed to crumple in on himself as his sobs overtook him. Looking up at the dumbfounded Noah, with his jaw flapping in the wind, Kurt screamed at the jock, his voice becoming more and more hysterical until his voice gave out with the strain,

"Get out... get out... GET OUT... GET OUT!..."

Accepting that his presence was probably causing more upset for Kurt than his absence would, Noah backed away from the soprano slowly, each step causing his heart to break into ever tinier shards.

_'I fucked it up. I fucked it up. I fucked it up.'_

Retrieving his cotton top from where it had been discarded on the floor, Noah looked to Kurt who was now hunched over and crying in great gulping sobs, using the cold flannel from earlier in an attempt to muffle the sound.

As Noah took off out of the bathroom, his chest compressed in silent agony as he snatched up his cell and keys. He ran, there was nothing else left for it.

Noah had no idea where he was running to, he just knew Kurt wanted him gone and he was running on instinct alone. Heedless of the chips and dip he was trampling into the carpet or that were adhering to his bare feet, Noah stumbled on the bottom step. Catching himself on his hands and knees, he scrambled up the stairs on all fours.

Escaping the house, front door flying back and impacting the wall in his wake, Noah ran to his truck, the unmistakable sound of breaking glass echoing from inside the house.

Throwing himself into the driving seat and switching on the engine, Noah put the truck into drive and gunned it out of there in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

**A/N: Hey all. I realise it's a shorter chapter than previous. But I felt that I couldn't really tack anything else on after it. And before you all call me evil, the story is categorised as Angst. After all, the path of true love and all that...**

**Toodles xoxo**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: I hope you weren't too disappointed by my last mini-chapter. The true course of love does not run smooth though. If I hadn't put in some bumps this would have been a shorter story, and I'm all about the torturing.**

**Oh and please no more requests for me to write to save your sanities please... C'mon people that's what mental health professionals are for! :-D**

**Chapter 16 – Breakdowns**

* * *

Mercedes was well aware that Kurt had the morning off. Normally each Friday morning Kurt would take the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to Mecca – otherwise known as the high fashion shops at the Mall. However when the small fashionista hadn't yet appeared by mid-morning break armed with his large Frapuccino and full of enthusiasm for his latest purchase, she was beginning to get concerned.

Having finished putting her books back in her locker, she fished out her cell from her purse. Hitting her speed-dial she heard the clicking and ringing on the other end of the line. She wasn't surprised when the phone rang out for a little while, Kurt had the habit of bopping along to his 'Single Ladies' ringtone for a 'lil bit before he'd answer.

Her concern however increased markedly when the phone rang through to voicemail which was most unlike her friend,

_'Hi this is Kurt... and this is Mercedes...'_

Scuffling and giggling could be heard on the line before a whining voice said,

"_...'cedes, this is supposed to be my voicemail..."_ before finally Kurt's voice said,

_'So if you're Mark Ruffalo and **only** if you're calling to admit you love me, leave your number after the beep...BEEP..."_

Mercedes rolled her eyes at the voicemail message she and Kurt had recorded several weeks back. A message Kurt had sworn blind that he'd changed at the time.

"Hey Kurt, it's me. Just wondering where you are... hit me back... love you... bye."

Snapping her phone shut, Mercedes tried to squash the gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She was distracted from her thoughts by the appearance of Brittany in the mirror of her locker door.

Turning around the she saw the girl was for once not wearing her Cheerios outfit and was instead clad in tight blue jeans and a strappy white vest top which drew attention to her usually well hidden endowments. Sucking rather suggestively on a large red, tongue-shaped lollipop she greeted the other girl,

"Hey Mercedes..."

_'SLURP...'_

"Oh hey Brittany. Hey, have you seen Kurt at all today?"

Brittany crossed her eyes as if she was trying to work out the answer to a very complicated math equation before shaking her head in the negative.

_'SLURP...'_

"No, I don't think so... I mean maybe he was wearing a mask and he was actually Mr Karlsson,

_'SLURP...'_

"But then why would Kurt want me to suck him off? He is gay with a big 'G' after all and he didn't want me to when we were going out and I did offer... but I don't know... maybe... what was the question again?"

Mercedes, after she had gotten over her slight revulsion at their obviously sick-in-the-head teacher, rolled her eyes good naturedly at the blonde. She was interrupted from forming any reply when 'Spanish Fly' came blaring from... _'Britt's bra?'_

Fishing into her cleavage, Mercedes goggled as the blonde extracted a slim silver cell which she flicked open with a flourish.

"Hey Sanny..."

Mercedes couldn't hear the other end of the conversation but she could tell that the blonde was getting a telling off judging from the sheepish expression on her face.

"Jeez Sanny, I said I was _sorry_ OK? I didn't know that the cuffs were missing their key and the Mailman _was_ able to help get you free wasn't he?... Yes I know I shouldn't have offered him a threesome to say thanks and that it was innapop... inapopro... wrong..."

The girl looked at the gobsmacked Mercedes and rolled her eyes as if to say, _'Women!'._

"... OK Sanny but _only_ if you buy the lotion for after, you know how my skin gets when you use the paddle..."

_'Oh HELL naw...'_

Mercedes was about to pass out... there was too much information and then there was _too much_ information.

Closing her locker door and waving to Britt in goodbye she decided to beat a hasty retreat as she heard Britt say,

"...oh nobody, just 'cedes..."

Mercedes could hear the latina's indignant squawk from six feet away. She didn't dare turn back.

* * *

While Mercedes was dealing with one blonde another was waiting impatiently in the hallway by the doors to the Library.

Checking her watch again Quinn growled when she realised she only had 20 minutes 'til her Doctor's appointment and Noah hadn't yet shown up.

Stomping her foot indignantly and swearing loudly, she drew the ire of the school Librarian who leaned out of the swing doors to shush her.

_'I mean honestly... I'm not even IN the Library and she's shushing me... book Nazi!'_

Flicking open her cell she checked for missed calls again... it was the fifth time she'd done so in as many minutes. Deciding she'd call Noah and give him a piece of her mind she dialled and was not surprised when it went straight to voicemail.

"Hey... uh, leave a message. That's it... BEEP"

_'Stupid boy always forgets to charge his battery'._

Leaving a message anyway, if only for the opportunity to vent at the boy,

"Hey Jackass it's me. It's 10.20 and my pre-natal appointment is at 10.40 and I'm going to have to drive myself despite _your_ promise to take me. You'd better have a good reason for letting me down."

Quinn snapped her phone shut without saying goodbye and started to make her way to the parking lot. Halfway there she came across Brittany who was leaning against Mercedes locker looking kinda downbeat as she sucked on a... _tongue?_

"Hey Quinn... Hey baby-Quinn..." said the girl directing her second greeting to Quinn's stomach.

_'SLURP...'_

"Hey Britt... you wouldn't have seen Noah around this morning would you? The meat head was supposed to be driving me to my Doctor's appointment but he's not shown up."

Quinn didn't know it but Brittany was pulling exactly the same expression she had just moments earlier when talking with Mercedes.

Brittany being Brittany however she didn't make the intuitive leap between both questions.

" No, I don't think so... he couldn't have been wearing a mask cos that was Kurt and he was Mr Karlsson – but Puck would want me to suck him off so that would make sense... I don't know... maybe?"

Quinn's brain was one of the sharpest in the school, she had a 3.7 GPA and usually she was pretty on the ball, however Brittany always had a way of muddying the waters somewhat.

"Uh... OK. Thanks Britt"

The lollipop licking blonde seemed to perk up a bit at the gratitude for a job well done as she smiled at the pregnant girl.

"Hey no problem. Say you weren't like wanting to hang around with me were you? Only it's just Sanny is on her way and she doesn't like it when I invite people for threesomes without checking first... apparently it's good manners..." she said rolling her eyes.

Quinn just chuckled at the girl before assuring her that she was just leaving. Just as she was saying goodbye to the girl her cell vibrated and she flicked it open with a scowl.

_'He'd better have a good reason...'_

Scanning the sender, she realised it wasn't from Noah as she'd expected but rather from Artie concerning their duet. Tapping out a quick response to say she had the Doctor now but that she'd be around in the afternoon, she mumbled a goodbye to Britt and left the building.

_'Where are you Noah?'_

* * *

Noah had driven until he could drive no further. Literally. His truck had come to a spluttering halt about 40 miles from Dayton on the I75.

Noah had just sat there for several minutes, turning the ignition key and not truly comprehending why the truck wasn't moving anymore. Now that the engine had stopped, the wipers had also stopped and the rain was now falling in sheets obscuring the cab from the outside world.

_'I fucked it all up'_

Noah was being haunted by the image of Kurt broken and sobbing in the bathroom. Aretha had warned him that the soprano was fragile and that he'd been broken before, but Kurt had always seemed so strong to Noah. So confident and full of life. A part of him hadn't believed her. But he'd witnessed Kurt's fragile shell crack that morning and had seen some of the true Kurt Hummel shine through. And it had been all his fault.

Laying his head on the steering wheel Noah closed his eyes in a futile attempt to ward off the tears he could feel forming on his lashes. They dripped down onto his lap with little melodious splashes.

He jumped and inadvertently pressed the horn as he could hear his cell vibrating. The sound echoed in the empty and silent truck. His cell was still vibrating but he didn't want to answer it. Besides it had fallen somewhere under the passenger seat in his rush to leave the Hummel's house and he was in no mood to go fishing about for it right now.

Sighing Noah contemplated how he was going to firstly explain to Aretha that he'd screwed up and secondly exactly how long it would be before the girl opened up a vein on him when he did.

A knocking at the repaired driver's window startled Noah as he wound down the glass using the new handle he'd had fitted the day before.

"Everything alright son?" asked the cop, whose patrol car had obviously parked up behind him without Noah noticing.

Clearing his throat and hoping that the cop wouldn't mention the tear tracks on his face he answered,

"Fine Officer... uh thanks. But if you could point me in the direction of a gas station I'd appreciate it."

Nodding in understanding the cop considered the query before replying,

"There's a gas station about a mile back on I75, it's not the cheapest gas you'll find in the state but I don't think you're going to be wanting to be picky, eh son?"

Noah attempted to smile deprecatingly at the cop however it came out as more of a grimace.

"Thanks Officer... uh, I'll just look out my jacket and head there now."

"OK son. Try not to take too long though or your truck is liable to get towed."

Winding his window back up again, Noah waited several seconds before the blue pulsing lights of the patrol car pulled alongside and then ahead of him before disappearing into the storm.

Realising that it was probably half-way through the morning already Noah sighed and reached over to the passenger seat. Bending himself like a pretzel he managed to pry his cell out from where it had landed in something gross and sticky.

Shaking off his hands, he flipped the screen and saw the missed call and the message icon from his voicemail.

Biting the bullet, he pressed dial and listened. It was Q.

"_Hey Jackass it's me. It's 10.20 and my pre-natal appointment is at 10.40 and I'm going to have to drive myself despite your promise to take me. You'd better have a good reason for letting me down."_

"Shit!" Noah cursed and slammed his palms on the wheel repeatedly. Confirmation of that one last screw-up being enough to tip the boy over the edge.

The truck's suspension creaked as the force of Noah's tantrum rocked the vehicle from side to side.

Eventually spent, Noah tapped out a short text reply to Q, he had no intention of taking any calls right now, slapped his phone down into the glove and sealed it tight.

Lifting his wallet he popped the door on the truck and stepped out without heed to the monsoon around him to fetch his gas can from the back of the truck.

Having dug this out and been thoroughly soaked to the bone in the process, Noah recalled the directions to the gas station, sighed and began the trek.

_'At least in the rain no one will know what's rain and what's tears'_

* * *

Kurt was in a bad way. After he'd launched the heavy soap dispenser from beside the sink and watched in awe as the shower door shattered into millions of little tiny shards he'd sat hunched on the counter for what felt like hours. Noah had run. Of course Noah had run. Kurt had screamed at him to leave after all. He had the hoarse voice to show for it.

Eventually. After he didn't know how long, Kurt extended his limbs and slid bonelessly from the counter down onto wobbly legs.

Realising his Dad would be home in a few short hours, Kurt squashed the urge to retreat to his bed, hug a pillow and cry and started to clear up.

Firstly scooping up the pile of towels that had been dislodged by Noah... by _'Puck's _exit and which had spilled onto the bathroom floor, he busied himself with the manual task of folding in an attempt to distract his over-active mind.

It didn't work. As he chanted his mantra of

_'Fold, fold, fold and rest. Fold, fold, fold and rest.'_

he could feel large, hot tears running down and dripping onto the steadily growing stack of Egyptian Cotton.

_'What did I do wrong?'_

That was the main question that Kurt had been asking himself for a while now. What did _he_ do wrong to deserve being treated like he had been? Sure he was gay and he wasn't ashamed to show it but No... Puck had kissed him... and it had all been a sham.

None of it was real he realised.

_'But he protected you...'_ said a traitorous voice of dissension which he attempted to quash but couldn't.

_'He hated Karofsky just as much as anyone, I was just the excuse he needed to put him in the hospital.' _he argued.

_'You know that's not true...'_

_'Shut up'_

_'No you shut up'_

Groaning in despair Kurt realised he was having an argument with himself as he sunk face down at the counter into the now uniformly folded pile of towels.

_'I'm right you know...'_

"Aaaaaaaarrgggh" he cried out as the annoying little voice in his head wouldn't let up. Thankfully for Kurt, the sound was muffled by the towels as the acoustics in the empty bathroom would have surely deafened him otherwise. Strangely it was in that moment that he realised the voice in his head was Finn.

_'Huh... weird_' he thought.

Putting the towels back on the shelf, Kurt snatched up what he thought was his own now freshly laundered bath robe.

Throwing the robe over his shoulders, he'd already lashed it shut before the aroma of Axe and Sandalwood attacked his senses.

Tears came unbidden to his eyes as he was forced to remember that which he had been trying to repress for the past several minutes.

_'It had all been a lie'._

Before _'Invisi-Finn'_ could chuck in his two cents again, he barrelled on,

_'Maybe He had intended to protect him but the things He'd said. He wanted to tell the world that He'd taken something from Kurt that he had been holding onto to give to someone deserving as a precious gift.'_

Kurt couldn't think His name anymore, the gaping hole in his chest throbbed each time he even thought of the taller boy. Fighting back the sobs that were even now threatening to overwhelm him, Kurt focused on the task of cleaning as he moved from one room to the next, emptying the blender, picking up the feathers... how he was going to explain the shower door to his Dad he had no idea, but he'd figure something out.

While he was stripping the bedclothes off his bed, he couldn't bear the thought of sleeping on the same sheets He'd been on just hours prior, he noted his cell fall with a soft thump to the carpet.

Retrieving the cell he noted two missed calls, one from Mercedes and the other from the school switchboard. Dialling his voicemail he picked up the two messages smiling as he heard Mercedes voice,

"_Hey Kurt, it's me. Just wondering where you are... hit me back... love you... bye."_

The second message however caused him to curse himself blue.

"_Mr Hummel, this is Mr Kowalski... Mr Schuester advises that you didn't show up for detention this afternoon. Mr Hummel I'm very disappointed. Please consider your punishment doubled effective immediately. Report to Mr Karlsson at 4pm on Monday without fail."_

* * *

**A/N: OK OK, Jeez Mom I'll write some more! Lolz**

**I kinda felt bad that you all were left hanging by the last chapter, hopefully this will offer you some kind of apology on my part.**

**Anyway, that's been what? 5? 6 chapters since Friday? (I'm on GMT for all those Yanks reading my stories!)**

**So for me it's now 2332 on Sunday night, I have work in the morning and I'm going to bed. **

**PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU LIKE. PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU DON'T. JUST PLEASE REVIEW.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: Thank you all for your kind reviews, your encouragement really does mean the world to me and makes it 10 times easier to write this story.**

**I'm afraid the Angst train is still well under way and things haven't quite gotten to the derailment stage yet, sorry Baggymonster there will be a reckoning, but perhaps not in they way you expect.**

**Chapter Seventeen - Aftermath**

* * *

By the time Quinn had left Artie in the Auditorium and made her way to the parking lot after their rehearsal she was absolutely livid with Noah Puckerman.

_'Stupid jock... teach him to ignore my calls...'_

The god awful weather did nothing to improve her mood. Dark storm clouds had blown in from the south and now stretched across the horizon, promising to deliver a deluge of biblical proportions.

One bright spot however was how well her rehearsal with Artie had gone. It had gone really well actually and she had to admit that the bespectacled boy had an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of music. She was extremely pleased that they'd _finally_ found a song to perform that met the brief of the assignment. Surprisingly the song came from a source she'd never before considered would suit her own musical style or her voice.

Quinn had never actually listened much to Bryan Adams, she was just about young enough to remember his song for the Robin Hood movie, and indeed she and Artie had pencilled in 'Everything I Do (I Do It For You)' as a potential fall-back song should one of the other pairings get to perform first and steal their first choice. When Artie had scrolled through his laptop and played her 'When You're Gone', a more recent duet Bryan Adams had done with one of the Spice Girls, she had fallen in love with it before the first chorus had finished playing.

Artie however had preferred the rockier vibe of 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie and he was all for trying to find a way to form a mash-up of the two. Quinn had decided just to let the bespectacled boy give it a go though she didn't think it would work herself.

As she tiredly climbed into her car she gasped at the sudden pain in her lumbar region,

_'God...I long for the days when my back doesn't hurt anymore... maybe if I bribe Kurt again perhaps with those wing-tip Ferragamo's he's been obsessing over recently, he would do that heavenly shitsu... or shiatsu thing again. I swear the last time I almost orgasmed it was so good.'_

She blushed at the admission, even if it was only an admission to herself and slotted the key into the ignition. She was about to fire up the engine when she decided that she'd check her cell just _once_ more before she left for home.

She was surprised when she saw the text message icon on the screen as she hadn't heard her phone go off in the Auditorium. Despite her anger at the boy, she was relieved to see that the sender was Noah. Her relief however was short lived.

_'Hey Q. I'm sorry... truly. I skipped town for a bit. I'll be back; actually I don't know when I'll be back. You can kill me whenever you see me though. Not going to argue. Please trust me. Noah x'_

Quinn was confused.

_'He left town?... what?... why?'_

Trying to call Noah back to talk to him and force him to explain where he was and demand that he came home immediately she growled in annoyance as his cell rang but went through to voicemail again.

She didn't leave a message.

Fear blossomed in her chest. She liked to think she knew Noah well and one thing that she thought he would _never_ do was abandon her like he apparently had.

Unless that is, Noah had a good reason for skipping out on her. Quinn's over-active imagination led her down blind alleys of drug deals gone bad and of Hitmen and Mafia dons...

_'Get a grip on yourself Quinn...'_ she thought viciously slamming her head-cheerleader persona into place to contain her erratic emotions.

Starting up the car she slipped her safety belt on and stuck the car into drive. Peeling away from the kerb her departure was accompanied by the arrival of the first wave of fat drops of rain on the windshield.

Tail lights shone brightly as Quinn brought the car to a stop again less than 15 metres from where she had started. Reaching to her purse she picked up her cell again. She couldn't leave things as they were. Realising that wherever Noah was he clearly didn't want to speak, she sent him a text. It was simple. It was heartfelt and it was all she could think to say.

_'Come home Noah x'_

She hoped he would. But there was a niggling part of her that she refused to acknowledge that didn't think so.

* * *

About a third of a mile into his trek, Noah had accepted that he'd been completely crazy to think he could make the journey to the gas station on foot.

Because that's what he was. Barefoot. And wearing pyjama pants and a thin cotton top which did nothing to protect him from the pounding rain.

He'd dropped the gas can and his wallet down an embankment a short distance back when a gust of wind had knocked him off balance. And though he'd been able to retrieve his wallet and had considered trying to retrieve the gas can which had fallen into a culvert, something compelled him to abandon the plastic container and simply keep on going.

He kept walking until he spotted the neon lights of a building in the distance.

As he got closer to the light, forcing his now numb and bleeding feet to keep pounding the tarmac he recognised the familiar architecture that was a motel looming out of the darkness.

The thought of a warm bed to curl up on was more than Noah could resist at that moment and so he veered from the highway down a rocky embankment, heedless of the additional damage being done to his already abused feet.

Crossing the sparsely lit parking lot, he noted there weren't a lot of cars about and that the neon sign he'd seen from the road was the 'vacancies' board beneath a bright pink hula girl. Approaching the reception door his ears picked up on the high pitched hum from the hula girl sign and he thought it strange to find the sound soothing.

Hauling open the heavy door with feelingless fingers, Noah's nose was assaulted by the unusual combination of stale tobacco and bubblegum. Crossing the foyer he made his way to the desk and with a heavy arm rang the bell on the counter, causing a rack of leaflets on the counter to rock backwards and fall to the floor with a crash.

The young boy who answered the bell couldn't have been more than 12 or 13 years old. He was short, way short, like 4'11'', with big blue eyes behind black rimmed glasses. His short brown hair crudely cut into a mockery of a buzz-cut.

The kid's blue eyes widened comically, the whites clearly visible as he switched between looking at the hundreds of leaflets now scattered behind the counter and taking in the dishevelled appearance of the football player who was standing and dripping water all over the foyer carpet.

Standing with his arms wrapped around himself with his eyes unfocused and not looking at anything in particular, Noah realised that he was shivering and desperately tried to control his limbs.

"Uh... Sir... Can I help you with somethin'?"

_'Oh right.. the kid behind the desk...'_

Noah's attention snapped to the boy who was trying to look polite though he clearly thought there was something mentally wrong with the man dripping in front of him.

"Uh... yeah kid... you have any rooms?'

The kid just rolled his eyes at the ridiculous question before a sarcastic retort left his lips,

"It's a motel ain't it?... Jeez... you gonna ask if we have beds next?... Cuz we do..."

Normally, Noah wouldn't have stood for that kind of disrespect. He knew that back in his Puck days he would have smacked the mouthy little bastard upside his head. Now though, he just didn't care. The fight was over and he'd already lost.

All he wanted was to sleep.

And maybe to never wake up again.

Slapping his sodden wallet down on the table, a momentary thrill shot through Noah, the first real thing he'd felt other than cold for hours, at the fleeting look of fear that had blossomed in the kid's eyes.

Flipping open the wallet he extracted his charge card and handed it over. He was in no mood for pleasantries or for mouthy little bastards either.

"One room... one night"

Deciding from the look in the older man's eyes that he'd probably be wise not to say anything further, the kid snatched up the card like he thought it would burn him and ran it quickly through the checking machine.

Satisfied that the strange shivering man with his uncomfortably transparent pyjamas and bleeding feet, could cover the cost of even their most expensive room, he unhooked a key from the rack and placed it down on the counter.

"Roo... Uh, it's Room 12... s-sir..."

Nodding in acknowledgement, Noah palmed the key and his wallet and turned to leave.

"Uh... sir?"

Noah stopped and didn't turn around, he didn't have the energy.

"...yeah?..."

_'Just let me go...'_

"Have a good night..."

_'No chance of that...'_

"...thanks..."

_'… he's still a mouthy little bastard...'_

Pushing his way back out of the door he staggered down the rows of rooms barely acknowledging the different door numbers until he found Room 12.

Slipping the key into the lock and twisting the knob, he let the door swing open and bang against the wall.

Crossing the threshold he could feel the difference between the cold wet side-walk and the gritty fabric feel of the carpet tiles. The room was the standard nauseatingly decorated motel room. Browns walls accented a carpet made up of reds and yellows all mixed together in a kaleidoscope of vomit inducing awfulness.

Using his leg to shut the door behind him with a resonant slam, Noah stumbled to the bed and collapsed face down into unconsciousness.

* * *

For the first time in his life Kurt had failed to call Mercedes back and she was not pleased.

Deciding that she'd drop by the Hummel place on her way home to give the little fashionista a piece of her mind, she was heartened to see Kurt's Navigator parked up outside the house. As she went to make her way up the path, she saw what looked like a Hansel and Gretel trail of chips leading from the kerb to the porch and most likely inside the house.

Though it had been raining outside for hours now and the sky was a dark violent grey there wasn't a single light on in the whole Hummel house.

Her stomach dropped in apprehension as she flicked open her cell and called Kurt again.

_'Please pick up, please pick up, please pick up'_

She breathed a sigh of relief a moment later when the line connected, though no voice acknowledged her,

_'Kurt? Oh Kurt... God... thank God... Where are you?... Are you OK?... I'm outside your place and there aren't any lights on... Where did you go today?... You missed your detention and Mr Schue was worried... and why aren't you saying anything?... Kurt?... Kurt?'_

She waited on the sidewalk, fighting valiantly to keep her umbrella from inverting and paced with a feeling of dread settling in the pit of her stomach. She almost thought she'd imagined the hoarse whisper on the other end of the line which she would have missed had the wind not chosen that exact second to drop slightly.

"...'cedes...'

_'Oh god...'_

"Kurt... honey what's wrong?...talk to me... tell me where you are Kurt... where are you?...'

Seconds passed as Mercedes listened intently to the unmistakeable sound of anguished sobs from the other end of the line.

"...home...'

A sense or purpose suffused Mercedes being as she marched up the garden path, snagging the key from under the mat.

"I'm on my way..." she said before flicking her cell shut.

* * *

For the first time in his life Kurt had failed to call Mercedes back.

It had been gloomy outside for hours now with the rain pelting down in sheets. And it was starting to get properly dark by the time the soprano had finished clearing up the house. He'd used the time efficiently but had still found himself unable to think of an excuse to explain the shower door or why half the cushions in the living room were now paper thin instead of stuffed to bursting with duck feathers.

Actually he found himself unable to care whether he could think of an excuse or not.

Kurt was motionless and silent as a statue as he sat on his bed, knees huddled up to his chest. There wasn't a single light on in the entire house; his Dad had come back from his fishing trip in an extra exuberant mood earlier and had decided to burn off his excess energy by going back out to the Garage to finish up some jobs he'd been putting off.

Burt hadn't noticed that his son's eyes were rimmed red and puffy or that Kurt was wearing nothing but thin cotton pants and a fluffy white robe despite the cool temperature.

The robe itself confused Kurt but he refused to think about it. He knew that it been His as he could smell the mixture of Axe and Sandalwood, but he couldn't bring himself to remove it.

The house creaked and groaned as the wind buffeted it and the rain poured in torrents against the windows providing the perfect isolation for Kurt.

He'd given up on crying hours earlier, he'd given up on _feeling_ hours earlier. What was that song? 'Comfortably Numb?' - yeah that summed him up nicely except he for the comfortable part.

His chest had a great big chasm cut into it and it physically _hurt_ to think. So he didn't, he just existed.

His introspection on his decision not to entertain any introspection was interrupted by a flare of light from the foot of the bed.

His cell was vibrating again and Kurt knew that it'd be Mercedes and that he'd have to answer this time. Listlessly lifting the phone and pressing 'call answer' he held the earpiece to his head but didn't say anything.

_'Kurt? Oh Kurt... God... thank God... Where are you?... Are you OK?... I'm outside your place and there aren't any lights on... Where did you go today?... You missed your detention and Mr Schue was worried... and why aren't you saying anything?... Kurt?... Kurt?' _

The sound of the desperate concern in Mercedes voice brought all of the pain in Kurt's chest back full force and his plan to exist and not feel failed spectacularly as he broke down and sobbed,

"...'cedes...'

"Kurt... honey what's wrong?...talk to me... tell me where you are Kurt... where are you?...'

Kurt wasn't in any position to answer however. The floodgates had opened and the chasm was back and his chest _burned in agony_ and,

_'oh god oh god oh god make it stop...'_

_Kurt _dropped his cell to the bedspread in favour of putting his hands over his ears and rocking back and forth as his sobs overtook him. His breathing was becoming very ragged and the edges of his vision were starting to grey.

Strength waning, Kurt flopped like a marionette whose strings had been cut, coming to rest, completely by chance with his head just millimetres from his previously discarded cell.

The distress in the tinny voice of Mercedes on the other end of the line caused Kurt to fight against his hyperventilation and focus on the words his friend was saying.

_'She wants to know where I am?... I'm in Hell'_

Thankfully his lips formed words different to those of his thoughts of their own accord,

"...home..."

In the last moments before he let the darkness overtake him he heard four words which acted like a beacon in the dark to the small boy's soul...

"I'm on my way..."

* * *

**A/N: Well that's Chapter Seventeen done and dusted. I should probably take this point to make an announcement... ah-aha-hem... drum-roll please... I've decided that I'm abandoning this story.**

…

**...**

**Nah... JUST KIDDING! Lolz**

**I'm still enjoying writing the story, though the Angsty stuff is necessary I don't particularly enjoy it; I want the meaty goodness back too but I'm very much into foreplay! :-)**

**PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU LIKE. PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU DON'T. PLEASE JUST REVIEW.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

**A/N: I'd just like to make an apology to all those who either passed out, spat up milk, required bypass surgery or started rocking back and forth with their hands over their ears for my joke at the end of the last chapter. In all honesty though it blossomed from a very real frustration with my own limitations as I'm coming to accept that updating a chapter a day is proving to be a very gruelling schedule. I'm going to continue aiming to do so but I'm feeling increasingly burnt out.**

**Anyhoo – enough about my woes. On with Noah's – YEAH!**

**Chapter 18 – Glorious Red's Eggs!**

* * *

For a well rested person returning to consciousness is supposed to be a pleasant feeling. It's supposed to be a nice, warm, safe feeling, likened to floating on the crest of a wave of pure peace. You're supposed to journey gently to the surface of existence and open your eyes, refreshed and ready to begin another day.

For Noah consciousness returned like a freight train running over his face.

"Gaaarrgggh..."

Rearing up wildly Noah grimaced at the sticky slurp his face made as it separated itself from the nylon bed covers. Pushing himself up onto his hands he attempted to sit back only to find a distinct lack of bed behind him on which to balance.

"Gaaarrgggh...'

_'Thump...'_

"...Owwwww..."

Noah just lay there on the carpet, flat on his back and groaning as his already muddled head became ever more muddled after having connected hard with the concrete floor. The red and yellow floor tiles did absolutely nothing to cushion the blow.

_'Stupid floor tiles... stupid concrete floor... owwww'._

Rolling over onto his stomach Noah placed his hands on the edge of the bed as he levered himself up to his knees. The quick movement was obviously not a good idea and he immediately regretted it, sinking his face into the mattress with a pained whimper.

_'Oh... my head!... What?... Where... in... God's... name... am.. I?'_

Rolling his head to the side without lifting it, Noah cracked an eye to look around the unfamiliar room. Valiantly, he tried to recall any of the details of how he came to be there. He was frustrated no end when he came up blank.

Huffing and levering himself upwards, he was able to force his rebellious limbs into seating him, though unsteadily, on the edge of the bed.

Leaning forward, Noah rested his head in the palms of his hands as the events of the previous day finally came flooding back to him.

_'Oh... now I remember... that's not good... oh... oh that's really not good... I need to call Q...'._

Glancing around him Noah could see his wallet lying by the dresser and his keys currently suspended from one of the dresser drawer handles.

_'No cell... huh...where's my cell?'_

A memory floated to the surface of him locking his cell in the glove box of his truck. Nodding to himself, and immediately cursing at the pain that shot through his skull as a result, he then pondered how to stand up and get to the parking lot and to his truck.

Shimmying to the wall and using it as a backboard, Noah managed to pull himself to his shaky feet, or at least he would have if his badly abused feet hadn't protested wildly at the action...

"Ow... shit!" he said collapsing back on the bed in agony.

Sitting up again he hauled each foot up in turn to inspect the damage... large gouges were visible in the mottled skin and Noah could see individual flecks of grit which had become lodged within the cuts.

"_Jesus fucking Christ... someone's been at my feet with a machete...'_

Gingerly standing, he shuffled slowly towards the bathroom like a man walking over a minefield. Entering the next room he flicked the light-switch and squinted as the harsh fluorescent strip light buzzed into life.

Padding over to the sink Noah sighed as the cold tile soothed somewhat his aching feet. Opening the medicine cabinet he was surprised to see a tube of antiseptic cream sitting right next to a pair of tweezers and he offered up a prayer to the gods of pain relief. His relief was short lived however when he spotted a box of band-aids at the back of the shelf...

_'No... please God no... fluffy... fucking...bunnies?... ah shit!'_

After 20 minutes perched on the side of the bath slowly turning the air blue, Noah was relieved to see that he had finally removed all the little chunks of highway embedded in his feet.

Wrinkling his nose at the awful smell, Noah generously began lathing the antiseptic cream into the wounds and hissed as white hot agony lanced through him as the medication got to work.

_'Ow... ow... ow ow ow.. ah shit... ow...'_

Before he could wimp out entirely and rinse the cream off, Noah slapped a fluffy bunny band-aid over each of the gouges praying he could find some sneakers. And soon. Preferably before he left the motel room or at least before he got home and got out of his truck.

Noah rinsed his hands at the sink before testing out his feet, shuffling from one end of the cramped bathroom to the other. The crinkling sound of the band-aids reverberated but Noah could hardly care anymore. The pain was receding to manageable levels.

_'Now... onto the outfit... jeez I sound like Kurt...' _

The thought of the smaller boy brought Noah's ruminations to a screeching halt. Leaning against the counter, he tried to deal with the torrent of emotions the initial thought of the brunette had brought out of him.

_'I have no idea how I'm going to fix it... but I will...'_

Steeling himself, he ran the faucet and splashed his face with blissfully cold water and examined himself in the mirror.

The usual face stared back at him, bronzed if a little green looking skin, and in desperate need of a shave. His hazel eyes right now were bloodshot and rimmed in red and his mohawk which despite it's short length seemed to be sticking up a a million different directions.

Running his hands under the tap, he collected up some water before running his hands through his mohawk to return it to some semblance of respectability.

Casting an eye at his dishevelled pyjama pants and cotton top, Noah promised himself that he'd stop at the first sports shop he could find and get at the very least a pair of sweats and some sneakers.

Finally, satisfied that he was at least sufficiently well attired to drive his truck back to Lima, he palmed his wallet and keys, wincing as he spun too quickly on his damaged feet and exited the motel room.

* * *

As he stood on the sidewalk Noah could clearly see that there must have been a fairly substantial storm during the night.

___'Funny, I don't remember hearing anything...'_

What few cars and trucks that were parked in the motel's parking lot were glistening with moisture in the early morning sun, or what Noah assumed was early morning sun considering he didn't actually have his cell or his watch on him at present and had no idea what time it was.

___'Hell Noah, you can't actually even be sure what day it is'._

Scanning the lot Puck ambled over to his truck and slipping the key into the door he pulled.

Nothing.

The door remained belligerently where it started, in fact the key refused to even turn in the lock.

"Oh... that's just fucking great!" he screamed to the heavens.

Any further temper tantrums were brought to a screeching halt by the loud baritone voice shouting from across the lot.

"Hey... ass-wipe. Get the fuck away from my truck..."

Noah turned expecting to see another figure at another truck quickly scurrying away in alarm. Not seeing anyone however confused the football player.

That was at least until he spotted the monster, dressed in a pink frilly motel bathrobe and disposable slippers loping towards him at considerable speed.

___'Oh... shit... HIS truck... HIS TRUCK?...'_

A flashback caused him to jump back from the truck as if he'd been scalded, keys skidding across the asphalt, as he remembered quite clearly now his truck running out of gas on I75.

He was brought out of the flashback by the arrival on the scene of the now enraged and red faced giant who towered menacingly over him.

In any other circumstances Noah would have probably found the sight highly amusing of a grown man in a ladies motel bathrobe wearing disposable pink slippers running across a parking lot. Any other circumstances that is that when the guy in question is 6'6'' easy and built like a linebacker.

___'Holy shit I'm going to die...'_

The blood drained from Noah's face as stood frozen in fear. It was not a feeling he'd felt very often in his short life and he didn't like it. Not. One. Bit.

"I said..." the linebacker pushed Noah in the chest causing him to stumble backwards barely keeping his balance, "...get the fuck away from my truck..."

Survival instinct kicking in, Noah turned tail and sprinted without a word, band-aids peeling off in response to the increased friction and his keys long forgotten. They wouldn't do him much good now anyway as he recalled the cop's words,

_"____Try not to take too long or your truck is liable to get towed..." _

The previous night's exertions were forgotten as the adrenaline surged through Noah's body and he put on an extra burst of speed.

___'Oh shit... oh shit.. oh shit'_

Checking over his shoulder as he rounded the corner of the motel, Noah could have cried in relief to realise that the linebacker wasn't pursuing him. Spotting the reception doors ahead, the beginnings of a plan formed in his mind.

As he wrenched open the door and stumbled over the threshold he was surprised to see a different face behind the reception desk.

She was about his age, maybe slightly older. With red hair tied back in a high ponytail and pale skin. Her green eyes examined him warily given he was doubled over in his pyjamas and panting.

___'And she was fucking hot!...'_

"Uh... Sir... Can I help you with somethin'?"

Though the words she used in greeting were the same as the mouthy little bastard from the night before, Noah couldn't help but feel a little arousal at the sound of the girl's melodious voice.

___'...her voice is awesome...'_

Shaking himself and trying to recover his breath,

_'God I have to get to the gym more if my cardio is this bad...' _

He nodded wordlessly as he tried not to swallow his tongue. Clearing his throat he answered,

"Uh... yeah... I've uh, I've uh..."

_'Get it together Noah... it's just a chick...'_

The girl smiled obviously used to tongue tied jocks stumblingly trying to articulate their thoughts around her.

Without trying to speak any further, Noah collapsed in a heap onto the brown suede couch by the souvenir stand. Placing his head in his hands he groaned.

He was surprised when he felt the weight on the couch shift and a second body sat beside him. Glancing to his side he saw it was the glorious redhead.

_'Glorious Red... yeah that's what I'll call her...'_

Her voice was soft this time, as though she was speaking to a nervous animal afraid it might bolt at any moment.

"Hey... are you alright?"

The honest inquiry had Noah laughing as he pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes. He replied to the girl his voice just this side of hysterical.

"No... no I'm nowhere near right, right now... right?"

He chuckled again at the repetition and seeing the concerned expression on the girl's face tried to get a grip on his emotions. Clearing his throat he tried again, this time trying to sound not quite as spaced out or creepy.

"No really, I'm OK... I've just... it's been a rough night" he said gesturing at his clothing.

As the girl nodded sympathetically she replied,

"My little brother mentioned someone who checked in last night in his pyjamas..."

Noah blushed at that and his manhood responded to the inappropriate thoughts running through his mind at that moment combining 'Glorious Red' and a bed or a couch. Coughing and attempting to cross his legs to hide his now rather prominent erection, he kept his eyes fixed on the girl's face hoping against hope that she would do the same.

"I'm Gloria" she said offering her hand, the only sign that he'd failed miserably to hide his state being a single raised eyebrow.

_'Figures... Glorious Red is actually Gloria Red... meh'_

"Puck... Uh, Noah... Noah Puckerman" he offered in return taking her hand and pressing a reasonable impersonation of a debonair kiss to the back. Noah was pleased to see the gesture was appreciated as the girl's skin flushed somewhat.

"So... why exactly are you checking into The Anna Arms Motel at 2am?" she asked.

Noah ignored the question in favour of asking his own.

"Anna... is that where I am?..." before adding, "... hold on... where the Hell is Anna?"

The girl smiled at his bemusement before answering,

"You'd not believe the number of people who ask the same thing... it's in Ohio..."

_'OK that's good at least..."_

"...a little ways outside Dayton..."

_'That's even better' _he thought.

"... just off the I75."

Nodding in understanding Noah asked another question,

"Uh... you wouldn't happen to know how far it is from here to... uh... the last place I remember is Franklin Township...?"

The girl's eyes widened perceptibly before she began nodding. It was a welcome relief as Noah realised he'd gotten the name of the place right.

"Uh... it's about 3 or 4 miles away..." she said nodding southwards towards the I75.

Noah groaned thinking about how exactly he was supposed to walk 3 or 4 miles back to his truck, which had already probably been towed already, _without _shoes.

He didn't realise he'd been speaking out loud until his erstwhile companion responded to him.

"You walked here? From Franklin Township... _without_ shoes?"

She glanced now at his bloodied and badly repaired feet and a giggle escaped her as she couldn't help but mention,

"Fluffy bunnies Noah?"

Groaning again but this time in embarrassment, Noah was gratified to find that his limited interaction with Gloria thus far had lightened his heart a good deal.

"Don't... just don't..." he pleaded. Gloria was like a dog with a bone however.

"You must be in Room 12 right?... I remember getting those plasters for some guests last week, their daughter fell on the asphalt and grazed up her arms something fierce... I'm sure little Jenny wouldn't mind sharing with you..."

Noah just sat back and listened as Gloria prattled on about this and that for a while. He would nod at appropriate junctures and offer one or two word answers to her various queries. Eventually however he realised if he was going to make it back to his truck before nightfall he'd have to set out.

Struggling to his feet, he felt bad having to disappoint the girl who'd been sitting chatting with him for most of the morning. At least he assumed it was morning, he _still_ hadn't found a clock in this damn place.

"I... I uh, really should be getting back to my truck..."

Gloria looked disappointed at the realisation her time with the footballer was coming to an end.

"Oh... right... OK... sure..."

She looked like she wanted to say something and indeed she drew in a breath seemingly to do so but instead blew it back out explosively.

Considering the fact that his feet were warm right now having spent the last few hours inside the reception foyer he was extremely reluctant to venture back outside. Especially when he saw the grey skies closing in again promising another deluge shortly,

_'God... it's like living in Forks!"_

Noah would never admit it to anyone, even under pain of death, but he'd been forced to read the Twilight novels to his little sister over the prior summer break. More scary than anything else however, was that he found that he actually enjoyed them. And that chick from the movie was totally hot too. He'd bang her... that's for sure.

As if sensing his reluctance, Gloria offered him a way out and a way to maintain his badass image at the same time. There's no way to admit you don't want to get cold and wet in the rain and remain badass, it just wasn't possible.

"Uh... Noah... would you, I don't know... like to, like, stay for something to eat?"

Noah considered the thought and literally a millisecond later his stomach growled loudly answering the question for him.

Giggling Gloria smiled at him as Noah's skin tinted slightly in embarrassment.

"Uh... yeah... that'd be nice... thanks".

Unfolding herself from the couch and getting to her feet, Noah took the opportunity now to really look at Gloria.

Wearing a light blue summer dress, which seemed completely out of place considering it was March, Noah realised the girl had long toned legs which he'd previously not noticed, ending in ballet slippers. Noah also couldn't help but notice the girl had an absolutely fantastic rack, not too big, not too small.

Offering her hand to the taller boy with a coy smile, as she'd clearly caught the jock checking her out, she entwined his fingers in her own before leading him back behind the reception desk and through the door marked 'Employees Only'.

* * *

The space directly behind the 'Employees Only' door led to a short corridor with a single door at the end. Noah shuffled behind the girl trying not to let on that walking anywhere on his feet at the moment was absolute agony.

Not releasing the jock's hand, Gloria turned the handle on the door and the pair stepped into what looked to be a small kitchen and dining room. Looking to his left, Noah could see a short corridor leading away, with two currently closed doors, one left and one right and what he assumed to be a TV room at the end.

From the TV room he could hear the distant sound of gunfire and the unmistakeable sounds of an old Western playing.

"Don't worry, there's nobody about... Glenn just forgets to put the TV off sometimes."

Recalling her mention of her little brother earlier in the morning, Noah realised that the mouthy little bastard now had a name... 'Glenn'. He still preferred his own creation.

Going to the kitchen cabinet, Gloria withdrew a skillet and placed it on the burner.

"Eggs OK?" she asked.

Noah's stomach again decided to answer the question itself and let out an amusingly vocal 'YES!'.

Smiling she cracked some eggs into a bowl, added salt and pepper and a dash of Paprika and tossed the mixture onto the skillet.

Noah just sat, pleasantly warm in the kitchen as Gloria worked diligently making sure the eggs didn't burn. Taking the opportunity while the girl was distracted Noah considered what he was going to do.

Realising he really only had two options available to him right now he tried to work out which was least likely to result in bodily injury.

_'If I call Q she's going to be mad... she's going to want to lecture me... she's going to want to kill me... If I call Finn... he's liable to still be mad at me... he's going to want to hang up on me... and he's also probably going to want to kill me.'_

Sighing in resignation he made his decision. He'd have to call Finn.

Still that was a conversation for another time, as Gloria finished cooking up the eggs and the toast she'd somehow slipped into the toaster without him noticing, popped up in readiness.

Dividing her creation between two bright blue dinner plates, she carried the meal to the table.

Smelling the eggs Noah couldn't help but salivate.

"These... these are incredible..." he said, not bothering to hide the fact he was still shovelling the eggs into his mouth and taking large bites of toast to accompany it.

"Uh... thanks, my Mom taught me to cook... before she died that is."

Noah stopped eating to look sympathetically to the redhead.

"I'm sorry... was it recent?..."

Gloria shook her head in the negative before dabbing at her eyes with her napkin.

"No... not recent... been, almost 5 years now... I still miss her though..."

Noah nodded in understanding, words at this point being completely superfluous.

By the time they'd finished their meal, Noah had spied a clock on the wall above Gloria showing that it was almost 4.30pm. He'd spent almost the entire day with the redhead and it had flown by.

Realising that it was a Saturday, which he had to confirm with Gloria earning him no amount of giggles, he asked if he could use the phone. It was time to bite the bullet.

As the girl left Noah with the phone pressed to his ear waiting for an answer, she shimmied back to the kitchen and Noah couldn't help but watch her ass sway enticingly as she did so. He was shaken from his leching by a clearly impatient voice on the other end of the line.

_'How long had Finn been saying 'hello?'_

Clearing his throat he answered the Quarterback.

"Finn... it's Puck... no wait, no don't hang up... please..."

Waiting a second before he was satisfied the line hadn't gone dead he answered the question Finn had levelled at him with a cold tone.

"What do you want Puck?"

_'This isn't going to be easy...'_

"I... uh, I need a ride... my uh, truck got towed."

"... and you thought to call me? Why not call Quinn I'm sure she'd be happy to give you a ride..."

The snide tone and the double entendre were not lost on Noah who felt the need to defend his friend.

"Hey man... that was a one time thing... get over it already."

The growl on the other end of the line caused Noah to consider what he'd just said.

_'OK... maybe not the best suggestion...'_

Deciding to be the bigger man, before Finn _did_ hang up on him, he rushed on...

"Look... Some stuff happened yesterday and I kinda took off out of town without thinking... I no doubt pissed Q off royally in the process. My truck ran out of gas on the I75 and when I went to get gas for it, it got towed... my cell was in the glove..."

Sighing and running his hand through his mohawk though Finn obviously couldn't see it, he summed up his plea,

"... you're my only option dude..."

"..."

Noah began to sweat as Finn took his time in responding to the half-back. Just as he was about to declare _'screw it' _and call Quinn he heard some muffled cursing and Finn's curt reply.

"Where are you?..."

Noah gave him the details.

"I'll be there in an hour."

Before the Quarterback could hang up Noah asked one final thing,

"Uh... Finn? Could you bring an extra pair of sneakers?"

* * *

**A/N: That was the EASIEST chapter I've written thus far. Woohoo! *Does a happy dance***

**Next chapter will be the fallout at the Hummels and then the real fun begins... Fabray vs Jones anyone? Ooh yeah!**

**PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU LIKE. PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU DON'T. EITHER WAY PLEASE REVIEW.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

**Chapter 19 – All The Kings Horses...**

* * *

_'They say that misery likes company. Stupid phrase... who are they? Why do they get to decide what being miserable means? Maybe I prefer to be miserable by myself... ever think of that?'_

After having forced her way through the locked basement door, no stupid high tech key-card system was going to stop Mercedes Jones when her friend needed her, she had crossed the bedroom space and simply scooped up the smaller boy and began to piece him back together.

It was several minutes before Kurt had even realised Mercedes was there, having come to the erroneous conclusion that he'd been hearing voices previously.

But he could feel the girl's arms surrounding him, cocooning him and he felt loved. And he could hear Mercedes softly crooning to him, words of comfort, words of safety and of peace. And he could feel the tears from his best friend's eyes that she was valiantly trying to hold back but that were falling nonetheless. A part of him wanted to complain that his hair would get salty.

He didn't want to feel. Feeling _hurt_ but he couldn't stop it now. Every nerve-ending in his entire body felt raw and inflamed, the slightest brush of the air against his skin seemed to send pulses of static rushing along his limbs.

Mercedes was singing now, a soft lullaby that he recognised but didn't know the name of, it was... comforting he decided. He remembered when his mother would rock him to sleep as a small child, safe and warm in her arms... god how he missed his Mom.

He could feel the tears coming again. The emotions came in waves, the fear and the sadness and the absolute emptiness crashing against his battered defences, up and over the sides, drowning him in his misery.

_'That's another thing about misery – who says I have to wallow. Why can't I drown if I want to? Stupid metaphor people and their stupid metaphorical rules'_

He could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest. He wondered if it had been damaged at all. The deep chasm in his chest was in the same place as his heart was, so surely he must have nicked a ventricle at the very least. Surely though there'd be more blood if he had?

Mercedes was near the end of the lullaby now, it wouldn't do to disappoint her and stubbornly refuse to sleep. She was a good friend and he owed her that much for being here with him. Lullabies were for sleeping, it was their purpose after all. Mustn't disappoint...

Closing his eyes he let the darkness take him.

* * *

When Kurt next woke, he found he was in a fresh set of pyjamas. He had yet to open his eyes but he could feel the creases of the fabric and smell the fabric conditioner as the material rubbed against his chest and sides as he breathed. In. Out. In. Out.

_'I'm still here...'_

Yawning, he raised an arm to cover his mouth, only to find that it appeared to be attached to something.

_'Have I been strapped down?'_

Cracking open a sleep encrusted eyelid he took in the sight of Mercedes, sitting in a chair by his bed and holding his hand. Her head was drooped and she appeared to be snoring slightly. It was amazing that even in her sleep the girl's snoring was almost musical.

_'Oh... so that's what I'm attached to...'_

Attempting to free his hand without waking the girl was a futile act as she stirred the moment he flexed his fingers.

Blinking eyes cleared as they focused on the boy before they narrowed and she examined him carefully.

"You're back..."

It wasn't a question apparently but he still felt the need to nod in affirmation. A bright smile lit up the girl's face as she launched herself from the chair across the small divide and snatched the boy up in a powerful hug, squeezing all the breath from his lungs.

Wheezing he said his first words in what seemed like days.

"...'cedes... can't breathe..."

She released him with a sheepish expression, still holding onto his hand as if she was afraid to let it go.

"... Kurt, I was so scared..."

He could feel his own eyes tearing up in response to his friend's hurt and fear. Hurt and fear that she felt for his well-being. He felt a warm sensation in the pit of his stomach at the realisation.

"... I'm sorry 'cedes..."

Mercedes wiped the forming tears from the boy's lashes causing his eyes to slip shut at the tender contact.

"You don't need to apologise Kurt... you needed me and I was here. You'd do the same for me."

And she was right, he would. At least before the chasm had developed. He wasn't sure if he would be able to now.

Mercedes braced herself as if expecting an explosion before framing her next inquiry.

"Kurt... what happened?"

He considered lying. Considered fabricating some fictional series of events and reciting them as if they had happened to another person. Another person that wasn't him. But he was so _tired_ and so he just let it all out. It flowed from him like a release of toxins, the more words he said the more he felt... lighter almost.

"I... Noah... he kissed me..."

Mercedes gasped in shock as she threw a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from interrupting any further. She knew as well as Kurt did that he needed to talk about this.

_'Noah kissed Kurt... what the hell?'_

Her introspection was put on hold as Kurt continued his catharsis,

"...and it was wonderful... and he was wonderful... and then... it was too much and... he wasn't so wonderful anymore..."

Mercedes could read between the lines that there was more to that particular story than Kurt was saying but she resolved to let him work through it at his own pace. If it were important to him he'd cover it eventually.

"... so I made him leave... cos of the chasm... in here...", he held a hand over his heart and rubbed as if mentioning the chasm caused him physical pain.

"...and I screamed at him to leave... really screamed... and he did... he ran and I don't know where he went... and everything exploded inside me... fear and pain and sadness..."

Nodding in the direction of the bathroom his voice was monotone as he said,

"I smashed the shower up... can't think of an excuse for my Dad..."

His speech was slowing now as he was clearly running out of steam and being overwhelmed by his emotions.

Squeezing his hand, Mercedes could only think of one thing to say.

"It'll be OK Kurt."

He nodded and for the first time in a long time, he actually believed it would.

* * *

They'd sat for hours together side by side in silence or engaged in whispered conversation. Mercedes had at one point taken Burt aside and explained to him that Kurt was going through some stuff. When he had pressed the girl she'd simply said it was 'boy stuff' and that as well meaning as he might be he could not relate.

Burt had clearly been hurt by the bluntness of the admission from the girl and the tears in his eyes, so much like his son's, were evidence enough of the love he held for his child.

But he had nodded to the girl and conceded the arena to Mercedes after paying a short visit to his son and seeing a hollow shell of a boy, so small and frail looking, huddled under the blankets.

He didn't stay long. He wasn't able to. He looked too much like his Mother did towards the end even though Burt knew his son wasn't sick like she was.

He took off for the garage again shortly thereafter.

The longer they sat in the basement and the hours and minutes passed, Kurt's willingness to respond to conversation increased exponentially.

When Mercedes phone had gone off and 'Bootylicious' had filled the room she had been heartened to see the blankets Kurt was cocooned within move as the boy's foot tapped along involuntarily.

Having taken the short call from Matt regarding their Glee rehearsal, she had suggested to the soprano that they put on a DVD. And so they found themselves sitting through Phantom of the Opera, though Kurt dozed for the most part. So did Mercedes actually but not for the same reasons.

The sun was just coming up on the Saturday morning, when the colour began to return to Kurt's pallid face. His arms were still listless and uncoordinated as he attempted to reach his compact perched on the bedside table. His efforts were further hampered by his attempting to do so without waking Mercedes who had fallen asleep beside him after the movie had ended.

Finally snagging the case and dragging it towards him, Kurt palmed the compact and flipped the lid. Of everything that could have restored some fight to the soprano this was it,

"I look like a coma patient!"

His outraged squeal woke Mercedes with a start, who rolled towards Kurt to see him sitting Indian style and still swathed in blankets. He looked furious and was desperately fiddling with his bed hair and muttering to himself.

"... 'cedes how could you? I'm paler than Edward Cullen... eugh... though Robert Pattinson... yum".

The whining accusation in his tone was forgotten as a brief smile passed over the soprano's lips before vanishing almost as soon as it appeared.

It was the catalyst however for a smile as wide as the ocean from Mercedes who realised,

_'He's on his way back... it's just gonna take a little time'._

Examining himself in the mirror he decried the poor state of his skin, claiming that he'd have to exfoliate for a full day to restore his pores and that he'd have to invest in a completely different colour scheme for his wardrobe unless his colour improved.

Looking to the still grinning Mercedes he raised a challenging eyebrow,

"Mall?"

Mercedes rose to the challenge with aplomb and with a charge card.

"Mall..."

* * *

Though he'd dressed somewhat demurely for his usual standards in a less tight than normal pair of skinny black jeans matched with a blue and white striped button down shirt, once Kurt reached the familiar territory of the Mall he'd relaxed substantially.

Mercedes kept a close eye on him however just in case. She could see that the large and loud crowds out this Saturday afternoon bothered the boy somewhat and that he had on occasion shrunk away from possible physical contact, even when only in passing with other people as they went about their business.

Still a few personal perimeter issues were a small price to pay and it was a definite improvement on the almost comatose boy from just hours before, that she could not deny.

The longer Kurt spent at the Mall the more animated he appeared to become. He'd treated them to Frappucinos as they had sat by the fountain and simply watched the people pass them by. Over time she could feel the Kurt she knew and loved becoming more secure as he would offer commentary on a particular item of clothing, or deride a stranger's dress sense in whispered tones.

By the time the Mall was closing for the night, they had been there for several hours and Kurt had picked himself up quite a few items which would go straight into his normal wardrobe rotation.

She had questioned him however on exactly where in his rotation a fluorescent orange beanie hat would figure. He had reluctantly conceded the point and put it back on the shelf with a muttered thanks to his friend.

He had commented while trying on clothes earlier that afternoon that he was glad his complexion was returning to normal as the russet top he was considering buying washed him out terribly. The personal shopper girl who'd picked it out for him looked rather offended at the offhand comment, but Kurt stuck by his assessment with his usual vehemence.

As the pair drove back to Kurt's house in Mercedes car, she still was not confident enough to allow the soprano to drive, they sang along with the radio and she formulated her plans.

_'How to skin a jock in three easy steps. She'd promised to cut him... and she would... starting with his balls.'_

* * *

**A/N: Well. There we are... after saying I was struggling to go one chapter a day I go and do two... oops! Wasn't intending on doing this chapter until tomorrow, but the TV was crap and I'd already gotten my Tim Roth fix for this week.**

**And that's now 19 chapters and Kurt and Noah haven't even picked out a song for Glee yet! I'll have to get my thinking hat on. Any suggestions?**

**PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU LIKE. PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU DON'T. JUST PLEASE REVIEW. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: And here we are again, I'm really running out of interesting opening statements – how bout this – CHAPTER TWENTY! WOOOOO!**

**Mega big hugs to my little Canadian friend, you know who you are – you are the absolute best! XD**

**WARNING: Sexual situations abound... and they are HET not SLASH (I know... but please believe me it's necessary)  
**

**Chapter Twenty – What? Did you really expect him to say no?**

* * *

The hour predicted by Finn had quickly turned into 2 and then 3, but Noah wasn't really all that concerned. Finn's sense of direction had always been awful. The Quarterback had even managed to get lost on the Drivers Ed training course, much to the amusement of the rest of the class. He was probably just driving in circles somewhere until he figured out where he was.

No matter how late Finn eventually ended up being though, he always turned up as promised. A man of his word, that was definitely how to sum up Finn Hudson. It was only really more worrying when he vowed to break your face.

_'Which as it happened, he had__...'_

Still there was no point worrying about that right now, especially not when he was enjoying spending time with Gloria. He had realised midway through reciting the story of how he'd scored the winning touchdown in the game against quite amusingly, 'The Cougars', that the girl was staring raptly at his face as he recited his tale. Shaking himself he realised something that he'd normally have been able to see miles away, he was definitely still off his game.

_'She totally digs me...'_

The thought brought a smirk to his face which the girl simply assumed was pride at the story he was telling and didn't question it. Noah was pleased to find that something in this very surreal world was still working the same, and so was his libido which was sending pulses of adrenaline through his body, almost egging him on to more physical pursuits with the redhead.

He watched as the girl's green eyes sparkled as she laughed, a genuine laugh too, at his admittedly crappy storytelling efforts.

"So... uh yeah... that's it... I caught it... and Kurt kicked it and like... we won..."

_'Eloquent as never Noah...'_

Noah flinched slightly as he realised the voice of Q was back. Even in his head the girl sounded pissed at him.

As the laughter died to gentle giggles Noah felt the atmosphere in the room change.

"So... who's this Kurt guy you're always talking about?..."

The question caught the half-back off guard and he failed entirely to school his face into anything other than complete shock,

_'Had he really mentioned Kurt that often?'_

Running through the conversation in his head he realised with a start that he'd mentioned Kurt several times already during stories about football, about Glee, about his wayward past. Gloria had given him the gimlet eye for his last admission and he'd actually felt honest to goodness guilt. The guilt warred with a completely misplaced sense of pride within him at the realisation he'd recognised the emotion for once.

_'Damn stupid complicated emotions... don't know how Goths do it...'_

Realising he was yet to answer the girl and that she was still waiting patiently, he stumbled through a reply, though the blush on his face was prominent.

"Oh.. he's just one of the guys... the Kicker... high maintenance y'know... bit of a prima donna...but essentially a good guy..."

_'Ramble much Puckerman?' _

The girl just looked at him with a knowing eye, trying to puzzle out the enigma that was Noah Puckerman. The boy before her had wandered in in the middle of the night, in his pyjamas and barefoot no less and taken a room at their families Motel. Then he'd sat with her for the entire day in the very same pair of pyjamas as they had talked endlessly about subjects close to each of their hearts. She had seen how he'd gotten aroused at the close proximity to her earlier in the day, but the way he talked about this Kurt... the volume of emotion attached to every syllable, she'd have sworn he was in love with the boy.

Still, if he was confused maybe she could find herself a little bit of happiness in the meantime. She wasn't above trying to turn a gay may straight and she was certain that the outline of what she'd seen earlier that morning would definitely be enough to satisfy her even on her most demanding day.

Noah was oblivious as to the now predatory glint in the redhead's eye. The boy had confessed to a womanising past earlier in the afternoon but the way he had sat there, talking passionately about singing and dancing and about this boy Kurt... she had a hard time believing it. He certainly had the look of a womanising badass but he didn't have the personality.

The pair found themselves sitting side by side on the couch in the TV room and though he hadn't realised it his hand had been snatched up mid-storytelling by the redhead who had again interlaced her fingers with his. He decided he didn't really mind all that much.

"... you have a beautiful speaking voice Noah..."

Her voice was husky and breathy... enticing...

"Uh... thanks... so is yours..."

_'Suave...'_ he berated himself.

And then before he truly realised what was happening, their lips had connected and her tongue was begging for access to his mouth.

He gasped as he felt the girl slip from beside him to straddle his lap, the action allowing her the access she had been craving. Their tongues duelled with a growing urgency with neither willing to concede being the aggressor.

_'She did kiss you first though Noah'_ reminded the traitorous 'Q' voice in his head.

With Gloria's tongue now examining his back molars, Noah haltingly realised that the girl's summer dress had ridden up and come to rest either side of his thighs . He could feel the warm, smooth and very bare skin of the redhead in direct contact with his cotton covered thighs as he snaked his hands under the fabric to grip the girls hips.

He could feel the redhead smirk against his lips as she ground down on him and he could feel his manhood begin to rise in response to the increased friction. She moaned in obvious appreciation of the delicious sensations shooting through her as she rocked against him slowly.

_'Turn about's fair play...'_

Kissing the girl back with increased ferocity his mouth devoured hers as his hand twisted itself around her ponytail and he pulled just enough to give him access to her long, pale neck. He heard her growl when he kissed tenderly and then sucked on her skin, feeling her pulse quicken under his lips. His tongue moved to her collarbone and he attempted to leave an indelible mark on the unmarked flesh.

Pulling her hair out of its ponytail with a practiced ease he watched entranced as the girl's hair fanned out and then down around them like a curtain separating them from the rest of the world.

Returning his hands to under the girl's dress he pressed with his thumb against the apex of her womanhood, right on top of her clit. Up and down he went and in small circles, kneading the flesh, feeling his own cock getting impossibly harder as the fabric under his hand got damper still. Ceasing his movements and revelling in the almost painful sounding protest from the redhead, he pushed down the front of her panties, lightly stroking the soft flesh that welcomed the contact. He smirked as she bit her lip and cried out at the added sensation. Withdrawing his hand and instead using one hand to pull the thong to the side, he slipped the tips of two fingers inside the girl, while his thumb caressed her clit slowly. With a cry of ecstasy she closed her legs tighter around him, wanting more, rubbing herself on his hand.

Her little whimpers went straight to his cock as he sped up the thrusting of his fingers in tandem with the circuits his thumb was making of her clit. Noah could feel her breathing becoming more and more erratic until finally she let out a shuddering gasp and went limp as her walls contracted around his fingers, sucking them in further than they had ventured thus far. Noah revelled in the release of moisture he had caused as she became even more deliciously warm and wet around his digits.

Withdrawing his fingers, he locked gazes with the redhead's half-lidded eyes as he sampled her flavour, before licking his girl-cum soaked fingers clean one at a time. He couldn't help but smirk at the fire that one move appeared to have lit in the girl.

Little-Noah was by now weeping impatiently and running his little tin cup along the bars of his pyjama prison shouting "Attica... Attica..". The cotton fabric in real danger of giving way and splitting in two if the pressure wasn't released soon.

As if reading his mind Gloria shifted slightly, and lowered herself slowly, rubbing her chest along Noah's,

_'God her nipples could cut glass...'_

Noah spread his legs and allowed the girl the space she needed to kneel before him on the floor. Knowing exactly what was to come he laid his head back and threw an arm over his eyes.

Nimble fingers made light work of the buttons on Noah's pyjama pants and it was with a gust of cold air that Little-Noah made his appearance into the room.

Even with his eyes closed Noah could imagine the expression on the girl's face. It was an expression he'd seen countless times before and he chuckled softly when he heard the unmistakeable intake of breath from the redhead as she took in the sight of his engorged member.

His chuckling was short lived however as he felt a warm hand, slick with what he could only imagine was saliva, wrap partially around his length and give a testing squeeze.

Noah groaned in response and heard a breathy chuckle from Gloria.

"Do you not want to look?" she asked genuinely curious.

Noah let his arm fall way and his eyes focussed again on 'Glorious Red'. If he hadn't already been sitting down, Noah was sure that his legs would have given out from under him.

As it was he simply stared dumbfounded at the most perfect, milky skinned and unbelievably pert set of breasts he'd ever had the good fortune to lay his eyes on. While he'd had his eyes closed Gloria had obviously released the zip on the back of her dress and allowed the front to fall away, bunching the material up around her waist.

His hungry gaze caused the girl's pale skin to tint pink before she squeezed his cock once in reminder of where he was and giggled as Noah's gaze snapped up to meet her eyes instantly. Thankfully for Noah there wasn't enough blood left in the rest of his body to power a blush at that moment.

Her voice was sultry and she could feel her own arousal soaking through her panties,

"This... Mr Puckerman... is most impressive..."

She tilted the appendage in a variety of angles, taking in it's straight lines with just a hint of an upwards bend. The large purple head expanded and contracted in time with Noah's racing heartbeat.

Shifting slightly to get into a better position Noah's world narrowed to nothing but sensation as hot velvet suddenly engulfed the tip of his appendage. A little suction on the mushroom head had Noah panting and almost squealing like a pig.

_'Holy... shit... where did she learn that?'_

This was obviously not Gloria's first time at the rodeo as she worked him like it was second nature to her.

_'Oooh... do that flicky thing again...' _he thought as the girl did ungodly things to him with the point of her tongue.

He moaned in momentary disappointment as the warmth disappeared and she removed him from her mouth with a wet plop.

"Patience... Noah..."

_'God her voice goes straight to my balls...'_

He was to be rewarded for his patience just moments later when he felt the wet heat once again, but this time accompanied with something he'd not experienced until then.

_'Oh god oh god oh god oh god... that's inhuman'_

Noah was too far gone at that point to realise that he'd slipped an arm back over his eyes as he felt his balls tingle in warning that the end was near. Noah had only been with one other sexual partner in his life that had been able to take enough of his girth in to allow him to reach their throat. Clearly his above average size wasn't an issue for the redhead as she slurped loudly and moaned in accompaniment to her movements.

Her throat was squeezing him and massaging the head of his cock just like in his shower fantasy the night before. His fantasy involving Kurt. Before he could give any warning to the redhead, the thought of the soprano on his knees in front of him brought about the end for Noah.

With a startled grunt he could feel his balls emptying into Gloria's mouth and he surprised himself with the force of his orgasm, it was almost painful.

_'...Kurt...'_

Gloria to her credit did not seem fazed at all, and she kept sucking on him like an oversized lollipop until he was finished and going soft.

_'Shit... she swallowed every drop...'_

The girl smiled at Noah's shell-shocked expression, having no idea that the reason for it was not that she'd swallowed, but rather that the half-back had cum again as a result of thinking of the brunette soprano he'd abandoned back in Lima.

Noah's chest was still heaving and he was back to decrying his lack of cardio fitness as he heard the phone in the hall ringing.

Rising to her feet, Gloria hiked her top back up again, scooping her breasts back inside and zipping up as she crossed the room. Snatching up the receiver she answered the call while she returned her hair to it's high ponytail,

"Hello, Anna Arms Motel...this is Gloria".

Noah's eyes had slipped closed as he tried to control his breathing and the raging torrent of emotions released in the past few minutes. He could hear the conversation taking place and realised that the redhead was speaking to Finn.

"Yes... yes, that's right... no he's with me now... hang on..."

Gloria held the phone receiver to the palm of her hand before addressing the half-back,

"It's your friend Finn... he's in the parking lot."

Noah nodded in understanding as Gloria said her goodbyes to the Quarterback assuring him that the boy would be out in a minute to join him.

Noah meanwhile had stood on still shaky legs,

_'God I don't think I've ever cum that hard before...'_

Gloria was smirking at him in amusement he imagined it was because he was so uncoordinated right now but damn could the girl could suck cock. His thoughts were proven to be wildly incorrect when the girl giggled and pointed at his waist.

"You might want to put that monster way or you'll scare your friend..."

Looking down, Noah couldn't help but blush profusely as he noticed Little-Noah still hanging out the front of his pyjama pants. Hurriedly popping himself back inside he couldn't help but snort at what appeared to be a ring of pale pink lipstick about a third of the way down his length.

_'When did she put on lipstick?'_

Looking to the girl's amused face he took note that yes, she was wearing lipstick, though he'd not noticed previously. His traitorous Q voice was back just moments later,

_'Wonder if Kurt wears lipstick...'_

Shaking himself out of his funk at the thought of the soprano Noah shuffled awkwardly from foot to foot. It was most unlike him to be anything but super confident when it came to sexual liaisons.

"Uh... I guess... I'd better be going then... Finn's gonna be wondering where I am..."

Gloria looked disappointed at the reminder of the Quarterback sitting in his Mom's car in the parking lot.

"Uh... will you call?" the redhead suddenly sounded unsure of herself for the first time that day as she picked and twisted at the hem of her skirt, giving Noah an unexpected flash of her sunshine yellow thong in the process.

Nodding his head in feigned enthusiasm and quickly averting his eyes, his voice cracked as he ran his hand through his mohawk,

"Yeah... sure'

_'No... not a chance'_.

Noah felt true remorse when he looked into the girl's eyes and saw she'd seen right through his lie. Though his mouth had clearly said 'yes', she'd clearly read 'no'.

_'Clever girl...'_

Gloria however refused to let on how hurt the lie had made her. She finished fixing her appearance, reapplying her pink lipstick and causing Noah to blush again before taking a deep breath,

"Right... well we'd better get you to your friend..."

Unable to speak and now feeling truly wretched for having led the girl on, even if he didn't realise at the time that he'd been doing so, he could only nod and trail behind her like a puppy.

He averted his eyes from the sway of her ass this time, as a part of him couldn't help but wonder what she'd look like in skinny black jeans. The comfortable feeling he'd experienced for the majority of that day had evaporated and now he just couldn't wait to get outside and away. He felt like an absolute shit.

As the pair trooped back out to the foyer, Noah raised his eyes from tracking the individual carpet tiles on the floor. In the time he'd been in his own world, Gloria had obviously mastered her own emotions as she looked exactly like she had while they'd been sitting on the couch in the corner not eight hours ago.

_'I just received an incredible blowjob from this gorgeous chick and... I feel nothing...'_

"Uh... thank you... for everything."

He could see the pain in her face for a moment before her expression settled again into her cheerful mask. Before she fished into her dress and extracted something shiny.

_'My keys...'_

With a watery smile she tossed them the short distance between them and he caught them with all the competence you would expect from a jock who's sole purpose was to catch footballs.

"I hope he's worth it..."

Walking out the door without looking back he thought,

_'Yeah... I really am a shit...'_

Climbing into the passenger seat of the idling Buick he sank his head into his hands. Pre-empting Finn's inquiry he pleaded with his former best-friend,

"Please...just drive...fast..."

As they pulled out of the lot and back onto the I75 he realised he didn't feel any better the farther from the Motel they got.

* * *

As the Buick got up to speed and settled into a gentle rhythm Noah decided he'd best thank his driver.

"Uh... thanks Finn... I really appreciate it." Unable to bring himself to meet the other boy's eyes he busied himself with examining his face in the wing mirror.

_'God I look rough... first thing I'm going to do is have a hot shower and a shave...'_

A grunt was all the acknowledgement he expected from the Quarterback and so he wasn't surprised in the least that it was also all he received.

The pair drove on in silence for several miles, each tied up in their own introspection. Eventually the Quarterback's natural curiosity got the better of him and he had to ask.

"So... what the hell happened to you?"

Noah had known the question was inevitable the moment he'd climbed into the Buick. Ever since they were kids Finn hadn't been able to drive any distance in silence.

He'd been considering for miles now what to say, creating and discarding scenarios all the while. He certainly wasn't going to admit to kissing Kurt. Not until he had at least seen the little brunette to see whether he'd even look at him ever again.

Drawing on recent experience he fabricated a pretty convincing lie he thought.

"Uh... went to meet someone, forgot to fill up...y'know..."

_'Yeah that should do the trick..."_

Exactly as he'd hoped Finn bought the lie hook line and sinker.

"... the redhead back at the Motel?"

Not trusting his voice he simply nodded.

"Sweet man, she was hot..."

Finn smiled at the half-back and Noah realised he was trying. So maybe he thought, he should too.

Noah returned Finn's smile and was pleased to see the easygoing smile on Finn's face become more genuine. Realising he'd have to play the role he had to offer more details to the Quarterback, after all a convincing lie is more convincing the more people believe it's true.

"Yeah... she is... sucks Puckzilla like a pro too..."

_'God I hate myself right now...'_

Finn just grinned at the other boy. He'd missed having his best-friend in his life. After everything connected with Babygate had gone down he'd been left pretty much without a friend in the world.

The tense atmosphere in the car receded until it was just two friends in a car making a road trip. Yes they had issues, and yes they'd probably have more tense moments in the months to come, but at least for now they had a truce.

* * *

**A/N: Yay... another chapter down and some more meaty goodness. I hope you enjoy, I realise I didn't give any warning of an OC but don't worry she won't be back, she's simply an obstacle at the end of the day. By the next chapter both Kurt and Noah will be going back to school on Monday morning and sparks will fly, you have my word.**

**PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU LIKE. PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU DON'T. EITHER WAY PLEASE REVIEW.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: I realise I ruffled some feathers with the last chapter. I apologise for not putting in the appropriate warning, I've gone back and done this now. Thank you to all of you for your reviews, I know some of you were and are sceptical about why I needed the sex in the last chapter. Suffice to say I feel I need it in order to do something with the plot that I've had planned.**

**Taking into account the review from nooneinparticular I can say I do have a broad outline of where I want to go, with various plot points I want to hit along the way. It's just the details of how to get from one to the other that's lacking a little. I also firmly believe that the events of the last chapter are necessary, though I suppose I could have glossed over the sex part.**

**Feeling I had to at least make some amends, I got up a little early before work this morning and I wrote this up for you. I hope you'll accept it as a peace-offering. I promise no more Het Sex in this fic.**

**Thank you for your critique nonetheless, it is helpful to know where I've gone wrong and I hope I am able to make amends.**

**Chapter 21 – Return to Lima**

* * *

Kurt spent all day Sunday with Mercedes again, this time shopping for a replacement shower set. Burt had come up trumps for his son, deciding not to make mention of the broken shower door and deciding instead that now was as good a time as any to let Kurt do the upgrade he had been begging to do for months now.

And so he and Mercedes had taken his baby on a field trip and spent the day in Cincinnati wandering amongst a forest of unplumbed toilets and baths, 'oohing and aahing' at the various makes, models and colours. It may not have been _haute couture_ but there was something about IKEA that Kurt found quaint and soothing, plus 'cedes loved the little meatballs on sale at the food court.

Kurt could tell that Mercedes was still worried about him and was walking on eggshells most of the time. It didn't make him angry with the girl, but it did make him frustrated with himself that Puck of all people could cause him to snap and with a kiss no less, when the bullying and tormenting he'd suffered from various jocks over the years had only served to make him stronger.

The more he thought about it the more he became defiant. He wasn't going to allow Puck to break him. He was worth more than that.

As the pair drove back to the Hummel house from Cincinnati, the sun was going down and the sky was a beautiful fiery orange. They had been mostly silent during the trip, Kurt because he was thinking and 'cedes because she wanted to let the boy think.

She eventually had to break the silence however.

"So... how do you want to play this tomorrow?"

Kurt glanced at her quickly before shifting lanes and hitting cruise control. Taking a breath and collecting his thoughts he let them spill out,

"I... I think I want to forget it ever happened..."

Mercedes nodded in acknowledgement accepting the proposed plan.

"I don't want Puck to know that he got to me. So _we_..." he stressed the word while he thrust his hand between them pointing back and forth, "...are going to keep what happened between us... and my Dad of course, but I'll take care of that."

By the time he'd finished laying out his plan Kurt's posture had straightened out and a determined glint had settled in his eye. No meat headed jock was going to get the better of Kurt Hummel. He'd make the boy rue the day he'd ever laid eyes on this soprano.

* * *

By the time that Finn dropped Noah off at his house, a lot of fences appeared to have been repaired between the pair. It was still new, this truce between them and it would probably take a good deal of trial and error to figure out where the new boundaries in their friendship now lay but it was a good start.

The journey back to Lima hadn't taken quite as long as the journey from Lima to Anna, but it was pretty close and the sun had just dipped beyond the horizon as the Buick pulled up at the kerb.

Stepping from the car he wished his friend a good night and thanked him again for coming to get him. Receiving a self-deprecating shrug in return and a parting goodnight from the Quarterback, the Buick pulled away from the kerb, tail lights disappearing into the darkness.

Standing there now on the sidewalk again Noah could feel the chill settling into his bones,

_'Freeze to death or face Q...'_

Grumbling he realised that either way he was going to die, so he might as well die warm. Climbing the porch stairs, Noah slipped his key into the lock and had leaned in to turn and open the door. He stumbled across the threshold when the door opened of it's own volition from the inside.

_'Uh oh'_

There standing haloed by the light from the fridge, where she'd clearly been getting a snack was Q and she looked seriously pissed. Not saying a word she simply turned away and went back to assembling her club sandwich.

Standing there in the doorway, almost afraid to enter the room he ran his hand through his mohawk in agitation before huffing out a breath and biting the bullet.

"Hey Q... look I'm sor..."

A small voice from the body not turned towards him brought him up short as he realised the shoulders were shaking softly,

"You left me Noah... I... I needed you and you weren't here."

Noah's heart crashed in his chest as the girl turned to face him, sandwich forgotten, and for the second time in four hours he felt like a complete shit. Her pale face glistened in the moonlight as silver tears tracked down her cheeks.

"Oh... Q..."

All pretences were dropped by the taller boy as he launched himself across the room to scoop the petite girl up into his arms.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

He continued to rock the girl until her sobs reduced to sniffles and she turned a tear-stained face up to study the jock's face. A little hiccuped giggle escaped her as she took in his stubble covered face and the out of control mohawk. Taking a sniff of his chest the girl determined he needed a shower... and fast.

"Go take a shower Noah... we still have to talk, but you're stinking the place up right now."

Realising that the worst of the conversation was still to come, he'd tell Q the truth like he always did, he nodded meekly and placing a kiss to the top of the girl's head he made his way to the stairs and to the bathroom.

"Love you Q..."

"Love you too..."

* * *

Forty minutes later, Noah had scrubbed himself raw, his bronzed skin having a healthy pink tint to it from the friction he'd used. His mohawk had been cleaned and rinsed and he'd changed from his pyjamas, which he'd given up as a bad job and thrown out.

Dressed in his sweats and a hooded vest Noah padded back down to the kitchen where he found his interrogator sitting patiently at the kitchen table with a mug of hot milk in front of her.

She nodded at the chair opposite him and he took the implied order to heart.

_'Won't be getting myself anything to drink then...'_

"Why did you leave town Noah?"

He had been dreading that question and knew that Q was not going to be happy with him for his answer.

"It's... uh complicated..." he offered and winced as the girl's glare came back full force, "..I... I kissed Kurt..."

Quinn's response to that was an explosive breath and a declaration,

"Finally!"

Looking to the girl in shock he asked the unspoken question,

"Oh... come on Noah, I've seen it for days now how you've been obsessing over the boy... I honestly didn't think you'd work out what you were feeling though... you usually just put complex emotions down to having gas..."

He blushed at that accusation realising that the girl was in all likelihood completely correct.

"But... there's more to the story isn't there... you didn't skip town simply for kissing a boy..."

Nodding he continued his story in a soft voice, hoping to minimise any potential eruption from Mount Fabray.

"I... uh, I might have said some things that he took the wrong way... in the heat of the moment?..."

Quinn wasn't prepared to give the boy an inch and demanded of him,

"What did you _say_ Noah?" the implied threat was clear to tell the girl verbatim what he'd said.

"... that I'd fuck him... make him scream and then tell the world..."

If Noah thought he'd previously seen Quinn angry it was nothing compared to the she-demon who sat across from him now. If she'd grown a forked tail and some horns at that very moment he would not have been surprised.

"WHY? Why would you _DO_ such a thing Noah?..."

The jock cringed as the words reverberated around the silent kitchen.

"I... I have no excuse..." he rubbed his eyes tiredly, "I... just... he misunderstood..."

"MISUNDERSTOOD? How could he _possibly_ have misunderstood?" her nostrils were flaring and he could have sworn for a second the girl's eyes had flashed red.

A little defiance grew in the boy as he bit back,

"Because he didn't let me FINISH!" his own raised voice brought Quinn to a halt as she witnessed the emotional breakdown of the boy sitting across from him.

Ramming the palms of his hands into his eyes he pressed hard, trying to stop the flow of tears he could feel coming again.

The next thing he felt were a thin pair of arms settling around his shoulders as Quinn embraced him. He felt the sob building up in his chest and spilling over together with the tears which tracked down his face,

"Oh.. Noah...", the girl's voice cracked with emotion, she hated seeing her friend in pain.

"I... uh, wanted to say that I'd... I'd tell the world... that I wanted to be with Kurt Hummel... and to hell with what they thought... but I didn't get the chance..."

Quinn was running her hand in small circles on his back as he gasped and sputtered trying to regain control of himself.

"And... there's more... I made a horrible mistake Q... and Finn knows...and so Kurt will find out and he'll never speak to me again."

There was no accusation in the girl's tone any longer, she was for the first time in her life truly concerned that her friend was broken. He'd always been the strong one, he'd always had to be the man of the house, she'd never seen him this fragile and it scared her.

"I... uh... crashed out at a Motel in Anna...there was this girl who ran the place..."

Quinn sighed in resignation knowing exactly where the boy's confession was heading.

"Did you fuck her Noah?"

She was surprised by the vehement shaking of his head and was disappointed in herself to doubt her friend's truthfulness for a moment.

"No! No... we did... stuff... other stuff, but not that..."

Nodding in acceptance she tried to form words of comfort, words that would tell the boy that it didn't matter, that it would be alright. She couldn't find any. Instead she increased the strength of her embrace around the boy and sighed quietly,

"Oh Noah..."

His sobs returned twice as hard as before.

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys, just a short chapter for now, I hope to be able to put up Chapter 22 later tonight as this was just a short interlude for the most part.**

**Ta... James xoxo**

**PLEASE REVIEW**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: Okay – another day, another chapter. Thank you for all your kind words of support in response to the last chapter. I'd also like to say a little thank you to my unwitting muse ****SiNginG-SenSaTion who actually helped me nail some dialogue that I'd been working on. The good thing is, he doesn't know he did so it'll be as much of a surprise for him I hope. It's not in this chapter but will be in the next I think.**

**Chapter 22 – XXXXX XXXX XX XX XXX XXXXXXX XXXX**

**(If I use the real title I'll give away a secret)**

* * *

It had been a long night. By the time Quinn had been able to get Noah to calm down from his panic attack it was after 2am and they were due to get up for school in just a few short hours.

The boy in question had cried himself hoarse before finally succumbing to his own exhaustion, falling asleep in her arms on the couch. Quinn hadn't had the heart to move the boy so she had simply retrieved a blanket from the closet and had laid it over him, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead as she headed to bed herself.

Noah was awake long before Quinn made it to the kitchen the next morning. He was sitting at the table spinning a spoon on its end between his fingers, back and forth, back and forth.

_'He looks so lost...'_

Looking up he offered the blonde a watery smile which she returned in kind as she crossed the short distance between them and settled her arms around his neck in a gentle embrace. Her soft voice broke the silence of the room,

"How are you feeling?"

She could feel the tension in the boy's shoulders as he considered her inquiry and formed his reply,

"I... I don't know. Ask me again in a few hours and I'll let you know."

Placing a kiss on his temple she asked him if he'd had any breakfast. She was not surprised when he claimed not to have an appetite.

Crossing to the refrigerator she poured herself a glass of OJ and took the opportunity to examine her friend while she wasn't in his direct line of sight.

To look at him physically you would never be able to tell there was something bothering the jock. He was dressed well in his black jeans with a black top, the only indication of his mood being his colour choice for the day.

Checking her watch she realised her time was up and that if she didn't want to be late she would have to leave now.

As she grabbed her keys she was startled to hear a soft voice just as she was about to head out,

"Uh...Q... would you mind riding with me today?"

Turning around and placing her keys back in the bowl on the worktop she smiled at the boy as he stood and shuffled from foot to foot obviously not realising that her continued presence was answer enough.

"Well come on then..." she said offering him a supportive smile.

Returning her smile, though it did not reach his eyes, Noah snatched his keys up from the counter and the pair headed for his truck. Despite the morning sky being overcast and misty, Noah slipped on his shades, a necessity to hide his blood-shot eyes, as he helped Q into the passenger seat of his truck and then climbed into the driver's seat himself.

The drive to school was usually a boisterous time as Quinn would flick between radio stations and Noah would desperately try to distract her while he put on a CD, however not today. Today as the truck made the final turn before entering the school parking lot Quinn could clearly see the tension in the half-back's posture and in the rhythmic tapping of his foot against the truck floor, in counterpoint to the song playing on the radio.

As he brought the truck to a stop, she placed a hand over his on the wheel and squeezed as she smiled encouragingly,

"It's going to work out... you'll see.", though internally she had her doubts. Kurt was a fragile person behind a confident mask. Once you lost his trust he'd bring up his defensive walls and it was a mammoth task to break them down again.

"Just remember what we talked about. No matter what Kurt may say, no matter what he might do... make sure he sees only Noah. Don't give him an opportunity to say 'I told you you hadn't changed'... Don't '_Puck'_ it up!"

She'd giggled the previous night when she had come up with her little play on words but in the light of morning her words weren't funny, they were sound advice. She knew her best friend was currently tearing himself up inside and that when he got emotional, as Kurt apparently tended to make him, he would react without thinking. It's how he got into this mess in the first place.

She was pleased to see him nod in understanding as he took a deep breath and before her eyes the fragile boy of the past 24 hours was replaced with the boy she'd come to know and love.

_'He's a better actor than I thought...'_

The pair unhooked their safety belts, exited the truck and linked arms, making their way into the school.

* * *

Whilst Noah may have been tearing himself up inside, Kurt was the complete opposite that morning. He had woken up cheerful, refreshed and renewed.

On the advice of Mercedes the previous night he'd gone to bed after having had an extra long soak in the tub together with a facial and manicure supplied courtesy of the girl herself. He couldn't fault the girl's logic,

"_Go to sleep fabulous... wake up fabulous... go to school fabulous..."_

He'd sunk into his silk sheets after 'cedes had gone with a blissful sigh and with _fantastic_ skin.

Waking at his usual time, he'd sent a quick 'good morning' text to Mercedes before he'd taken an extra long shower in extra hot water using his new raspberry scented shampoo.

He had then danced about his room to the strains of 'Independent Women' as he completed his morning skincare routine. When he was finally satisfied that his skin was silky smooth and perfectly moisturised, he'd picked out his most fabulous outfit to wear, making sure to include the gorgeous silk scarf which he'd picked up at the Mall on Saturday. Examining himself in the mirror he made some final adjustments to ensure that his hair was perfectly sculpted, spritzed on a little of his favourite Chanel perfume and headed for his baby.

He'd told Mercedes to make her own way to school that morning and that he'd catch up with her before first period English. She was a good friend, of that there was no doubt, but after three straight days he knew the girl needed a break from him just as much as he needed one from her.

Stopping by the kitchen on his way out the door, he pecked his Dad on the cheek, earning a blush from the man before rushing out the door calling over his shoulder for his Dad to have a nice day.

Since he had the car to himself for the first time in days Kurt took the opportunity to plug his iPod into the stereo and sing along with the soundtrack to 'Wicked' as he made the short journey to school. Sometimes he wished the world weren't as narrow-minded as it was. He'd have dearly loved the opportunity to perform 'Defying Gravity' at Regionals.

_'And I'd have nailed it too...'_

Pulling the Navigator into his usual spot, he switched off the engine before checking that his exuberant singing hadn't caused his hair to fall out of place. Fixing a stray bang, he picked up his bag from the passenger seat and hopped out of the car a bright smile on his face.

Instinctively cutting a wide path around the dumpsters, noting with some relief that they were unmanned today, he met up with Mercedes by the entrance without incident as they headed to their first class.

* * *

Noah was getting frustrated. He'd tried now on several occasions to find the opportunity to speak to Kurt, to get the brunette to look at him, hell even to acknowledge he existed.

Every single attempt had failed.

He'd tried to speak to him at his locker only to find the brunette had been and gone already.

He'd tried to catch him coming out of first period English but he'd left with Mercedes who had thrown him a withering glare that made him fear somewhat for his safety.

He'd tried to corner him in the lunch room only for the brunette to grab a sandwich and an apple and disappear before he'd been able to work out where he'd gone.

Sitting alone at the lunch room table he pondered his next move. Giving up wasn't an option, he _had_ to make this right.

He was brought out of his wallowing by the scraping of a chair as Finn dropped down into the seat opposite him, a large mound of macaroni and cheese on his plate.

As he dug in he looked quizzically at the downbeat expression on Noah's face before asking,

"Missing the redhead chick already?" he grinned at the implied innuendo.

Noah nodded his head, not really caring what the question was or what he was confirming. He only tuned back in when he realised the Quarterback was still speaking.

"So?... Who is she?"

"Who's who?" interrupted a voice as Mike appeared over Noah's shoulder, swinging a chair around backwards and making himself comfortable.

"Puck's new flavour of the month..." answered Finn through a mouthful of macaroni, spraying the table slightly on the last word.

"Jeez man eat with your mouth closed" he snapped. The sudden topic made him feel rather defensive and he didn't want to think about the redhead in the Motel whose feelings he'd hurt.

Raising an eyebrow completely unperturbed, Finn just smirked at the half-back before going back to munching on his food. Mike however was not so easily put off.

"So... who is she then? Do we know her? Does she go here?"

Noah was about to tell him to back the fuck off with his questions when his 'friend' decided he'd answer for him _again_.

"Nah... she's from Anna I think... at least that's where I met her anyway. Family runs a Motel?" he asked looking to Noah for confirmation.

Sighing and realising there was no way out of the conversation any longer Noah simply nodded.

"...and she was totally hot... redhead..." said Finn as if the colour of her hair denoted some measure of extra hotness.

"Sweet... so you bang her?" asked Mike punching Noah in the arm.

"Dude... I'm so not answering that." he replied.

"You did... way to go my man!" Mike offered a high five, which Noah felt obligated to return.

Thankfully from there the conversation turned to more mundane topics like Mr Schue's stalker Suzy Pepper and the Glee Club meeting that afternoon.

Noah's ears perked up at the mention of the club meeting which had completely slipped his mind. Excusing himself from the table, he answered the questioning glances before hurrying off,

"Gotta see Mr Schue about a song..."

* * *

Kurt's day was going swimmingly. He'd arrived at the school without incident, met up with Mercedes, his new scarf was an unmitigated success and he'd avoided Noah. Things really couldn't get better right now.

_'Puck' _he reminded himself again.

His slips were becoming more commonplace now and it was the only cloud on the horizon in what had thus far been a fantastic day.

He'd arrived at first period English to receive back his most recent assignment and had squealed in joy to see he'd been given an 'A+'. Mercedes glared at him good naturedly as she showed him that she'd only managed an 'A-' and called him a teacher's pet.

As they'd left he'd become aware of a set of eyes watching him, attempting to catch his gaze and he'd heard the definite warning grown from 'cedes. Keeping his eyes fixed on the girl he linked his arm through hers and they walked off in the opposite direction.

The day followed this pattern pretty much as Kurt could feel Puck watching him as he'd snagged a sandwich from the lunch room and retreated to the Auditorium with Quinn and Artie to help them with their choreography.

They'd finished up in the Auditorium just before Glee was due to start and the threesome had made their way to the classroom.

This would be the biggest challenge of the day for Kurt, to sit in the same room as Him and successfully ignore Him. Walking in with his head held high he spied Mercedes and Brittany in the corner and went to join them.

"Hi Kurt... I like your scarf..." said Brittany, twisting a lock of hair in her hand.

"Thanks Britt, it's new and I _love_ it" he said preening a little.

Before they could get any more carried away, Kurt's attention was drawn to Mr Schue who was setting a stool up in front of the piano.

Clearing his throat the teacher drew the attention of the assembled students.

"OK guys, I know you've all got your projects to work on and you've got just over two weeks left on that but we've had a special request from Puck who'd like to show us something he's been working on."

Kurt watched impassive as an obviously nervous Puck stood up from where he'd been sitting unnoticed in the corner of the room and came to stand in front of the stool.

Looking down to his nails and fiddling with his cuticles Kurt could feel the boy's eyes on him again as he pointedly ignored him.

"Uh... yeah. I have a song I'd like to perform, it's got... uh special meaning for me right at the moment.. so yeah..."

Sitting down on the stool he nodded to Brad at the piano who began playing, the opening chords of the song instantly recognised by Kurt who's eyes flashed furiously.

_'How dare he...'_

Clearly Mercedes felt exactly the same as he did as he could hear her exclaim quietly,

"Oh HELL naw... he wouldn't..."

It was too late however as the intro had stopped and the boy's smoky vocals had begun. And they were incredible, rich and deep and _perfect_.

"_What have I got to do to make you love me?_

Kurt realised for the first time that day that his control was slipping. He could feel the cracks in his façade and he felt the hurt return...

_What have I got to do to make you care?_

He couldn't listen to this. He just couldn't..._  
_

_What do I do when lightning strikes me?_

He had to get out..._  
_

_And I wake to find that you're not there" _

With an undignified squeak that was thankfully only audible to Mercedes, his hand held protectively over his mouth and without a backwards glance, Kurt fled the room.

* * *

As the opening bars of the song he'd chosen rang out from the piano, Noah had watched as recognition set in and both Kurt's and Mercedes' expressions became murderous.

Before he could give thought to abandoning a plan which had obviously not had the effect he'd wanted he was left with no option but to sing or bomb. So he sang.

He wrapped his vocals around the words, trying to put as much emotion and heart into the lyrics as he could. It was clearly working as he could see Rachel looking at him like he was the second coming and he clearly saw Santana wink at him before mouthing 'sext me'.

It was the reaction of Kurt however that Noah cared about most and it was the expression of pain his performance caused to flash across the brunette's face that almost made him lose his place.

He tried desperately to will the smaller boy to meet his gaze, to understand, but the boy was determinedly examining his nails before Noah noticed a shift in his expression from pain to agony and he was up and out of the room before he could blink.

Brad continued to play the melody long after Noah had stopped singing.

* * *

As the door slammed behind Kurt and Noah stopped singing, he just sat perched on the stool in front of the room unable to hide the expression of devastation on his face.

_'He ran from me rather than listen to me sing...'_

Looking to Q he could see her in the corner and the expression of sympathy on her face almost caused him to break down in tears right there regardless of what it would do to his rep.

The silence was broken by Mr Schue clearing his throat as he looked pointedly to Mercedes who was nodding to him as she gathered up her things, clearly intent on going after the soprano.

"OK... That was very _nice_ Noah... we'll keep it in mind for Regionals" Mr Schue looked truly perplexed at the strange turn the period had taken.

Dismissing the class and allowing them all to break up into their groups again Mr Schue huddled with Brad at the piano apparently discussing different arrangements for the Thong Song. He _really _didn't want to know.

Standing up, he calmly smoothed down his top which had ridden up with his sitting position before viciously kicking the stool away and storming from the room.

He didn't notice Q rising to her feet and following after him just a moment later.

* * *

Kurt had fled the Choir Room and had run to the nearest girls bathroom as he knew that was where Mercedes would first think to look for him first.

Running the faucet and splashing his face to wash away any evidence of the traitorous tears he'd been shedding, he was proven right when the girl came through the door a couple of minutes later, with both her own and his book bag slung over her shoulder.

Setting his bag down on the counter, she put a hand of support on Kurt's shoulder and he placed his hand over the top in thanks.

"You going to be OK?" she asked.

Nodding he sucked in a breath before replying.

"I was doing so well..."

Mercedes just squeezed his shoulder in acknowledgement, he didn't need words right now, her presence would be enough.

Ripping a paper towel from the dispenser, Kurt dried his eyes and then threw the towel in the bin with a huff,

"Stupid cardboard towel... why can't they buy the soft ones, that will have totally streaked my make-up".

Flipping open his bag he retrieved his compact and reapplied, paying extra attention to the irritated and red rings around his eyes.

Finally giving up on a bad job, noting Mercedes had stayed silent the entire time, he sighed in resignation as he decided he might as well get it over with.

"I'd better go. I have detention with Mr Karlsson"

"C'mon then, I'll walk you."

* * *

Quinn found Noah pacing in front of the lockers a short distance from the Choir Room, he was clearly agitated and was muttering to himself.

Deciding that with her friend so worked up it would probably not be in her best interests to interrupt she waited.

Eventually though even pregnant best-friends will run out of patience.

"Noah..."

Her voice was accompanied by a loud screeching of bending metal as the boy punched the nearest locker door in frustration. And then the fight just seemed to drain out of the boy as he turned his back on the now dented locker and sunk bonelessly to the floor.

"I thought... I thought I'd worked it all out..."

There was no way that Quinn in her present condition could have gotten down on the floor beside Noah with any expectations of being able to get back up again, so she settled for placing a hand on Noah's shoulder in comfort.

Noah reached up with his own hand and placed it over the top of the blondes, squeezing it in thanks.

"You tried Noah... you just have to decide if you want to keep trying..."

Quinn knew that Noah was a pigheaded idiot and that there was no way he was going to give up so easily but she was worried about how dependant upon the little brunette her friend appeared to have become in such a short space of time.

Looking up at her with haunted eyes she had her answer already before he confirmed it verbally.

_'Yeah, he'll try again...'_

And she'd be there to pick him up again if it all went wrong.

* * *

Quinn and Noah had relocated shortly thereafter to the Library when Q's back started to play up and she had to sit down. Noah was in no mood for going back to Glee and he had no other classes for the rest of the afternoon just like Q.

It was getting late now and Quinn was in desperate need of a bathroom break.

Looking to the dazed football player sitting staring aimlessly into space as he had been for the previous hour she cleared her throat watching as his attention snapped to her.

"I think it's time to go home Noah... and I need to pee."

Noah grimaced at the additional information, details on Q's bladder control issues since she'd gotten larger had been one of the things she'd bitched to him about for impregnating her. Seriously, if he'd known she was going to go on about it so much he'd have probably laid off the wine coolers...

Hoisting himself out of his chair he offered his hand to Q who took it with a smile and the pair made their way from the empty Library heading for the bathroom and then to the parking lot and home.

* * *

Kurt was seriously wigged out as he left his detention. He was the only kid in the room with creepy Mr Karlsson and he could have sworn that though the man had never flat out suggested it, he was clearly trying to suggest to Kurt that he give him head in order to get out of the following day's detention.

_'Creepy ass paedophile teacher, should report him to Figgins and get his ass fired'_

Kurt flipped out his cell to check his messages and hurriedly sent off a reply to his Dad to let him know he was just leaving now and should be home shortly.

Smiling to himself he read the reply from his Dad that he'd made pot roast. Clearly his Dad had won at the races or something as pot-roast was always his celebration dinner of choice.

Wandering out in the direction of his baby hoping against hope that the rain had stayed off, he was not really paying attention to where he was going. As he looked up his recently reattained good mood evaporated at the sight of a hulking figure leaning against the dumpster with his arms crossed over his chest.

_'Great... Karofsky.'_

It wasn't the fact that Karofsky was there that concerned the soprano at the moment, it was that none of his lackeys were anywhere in sight which was most unusual. Hyena's travel in packs after all.

As he got closer to the larger boy, unfortunately the only route to his baby taking him within twenty feet of him, he could see clearly the damage that Noah...

_'Puck...' _he reminded himself forcefully,

...had done just a few days previously. The larger boy's jaw was a riot of clashing purple and yellow and it appeared at least from the smirk he had just directed at the brunette that he'd lost at least one and maybe two teeth.

Karofsky was obviously waiting for him with a purpose in mind so Kurt was already preparing himself for some kind of comment and most likely a dumpster dive into the bargain. He couldn't help but flinch however when each of his arms were grabbed without warning from behind and he was practically carried over and presented to the jock.

_'My new scarf is going to be ruined... this is a travesty...'_

Raising his head defiantly he glared at Karofsky who sadly wasn't intimidated by the soprano in the least and stared right back.

"So where's your boyfriend _fag_?'

Refusing to rise to the bait Kurt tried to shake off the restraining arms which he was sure were going to both crease his new shirt _and_ leave ugly bruises. He honestly wasn't sure which outcome annoyed him the most.

However his fear for his own safety increased markedly when instead of releasing their grip on him, the arms restraining him cinched in harder causing Kurt to hiss in discomfort.

Shoulders slumping in resignation he was relieved to find that the pressure on his arms lessened somewhat. Looking into Karofsky's eyes he simply nodded to the dumpster and asked,

"Can we just get on with this?"

The utter defeat in his tone caused an evil smirk to spread across the face of the larger boy as he pushed off the dumpster to loom over the smaller boy.

Kurt's heart was beating a staccato rhythm in his chest and he was starting to panic now. Karofsky wasn't acting at all like he usually did, he was usually a straightforward 'slur and toss' kind of a guy. Kurt's introspection was short-lived as Karofsky spoke,

"Oh you won't be going in there..." he said chuckling slightly. Kurt could feel the two jocks restraining his arms chuckling along with their meat head leader, "... at least not right away."

Raising a hand to Kurt's face, the smaller boy couldn't help but flinch expecting to be hit. After a second with no pain blossoming he looked to the larger boy to find him grinning at him before he gripped his chin like a vice.

Leaning in closer than Kurt ever wanted to get to the half-man, half-ape his eyes widened in fear as Karofsky whispered to him,

"Y' see... the guys and I... we think we need to _remind_ you... of your place... don't worry about your boyfriend either, we'll see him soon enough and teach him a lesson you'll both never forget..."

Kurt couldn't help but blurt it out, it was instinct to try to protect the other boy from what would likely be a severe beating at the very least,

"He's not my boy..."

Suddenly Kurt's vision exploded into little stars before he slumped back into the arms supporting him which were now effectively serving to hold him upright.

"I didn't give you permission to speak _faggot!' _

The malice in Karofsky's voice was clear as Kurt's foggy mind tried valiantly to hold onto consciousness.

_'But he's **not** my boyfriend...' _his brain protested silently.

"Hold him..." said Karofsky as Kurt's bookends held him up more securely than before.

A quick punch to the stomach had the soprano doubled over, gasping for his next breath. The arms that had been the only thing supporting him released him as he slumped to his hands and knees on the asphalt.

Kurt felt a toe and then a foot impact with his side as he let out an explosive breath and collapsed onto his side, curling into a foetal position.

The soprano could feel kicks and punches raining down on him now but he couldn't feel them, all his addled mind could comprehend was that his attackers seemed to still think Noah was his boyfriend and that his scarf was now ruined.

Just as he thought he was about to slip into unconsciousness he heard an animalistic roar and the sound of something heavy impacting on metal.

And then his vision cleared somewhat and he could see that Quinn was there and that she was crying. He wanted to ask the girl what was wrong but his voice wasn't working and his head was just so _fuzzy_.

He felt the blonde grip his hand and he squeezed back as she mouthed words to him that he couldn't hear over the pounding of the blood in his ears.

"Cn't hear y' Quinn..." he slurred "... but s'OK... gonna sleep... s'OK..." as his eyes slid shut of their own volition.

Just before everything went dark he wondered why his sleeping would upset the girl so much.

* * *

Quinn and Noah had just left the building by the side exit when Noah spotted Kurt making his way towards the parking lot. He couldn't help but admire the poise and grace of the smaller boy. And his ass. He liked to watch his ass too.

_'God he's even more beautiful than ever...'_

He closed his eyes and tried to control his emotions as a wave of regret swelled up within him. Looking to Quinn he saw her look of concern, smiled shakily and nodded that he was ready to go. The girl linked her arm with his and they went to make their way back to the truck.

Trying not to follow the little brunette was an impossible task for Noah as his eyes zeroed in on him almost immediately.

His stomach dropped when he spotted Karofsky leaning against the dumpster and he almost took off running when he saw the soprano being restrained by Azimio and Palmer two of Karofsky's usual running mates.

A small hand on his arm from Q was enough to keep the boy still for the moment as she reminded him,

"Go steaming in there right now and he'll probably reject your help more than he'd thank Karofsky for the dumpster dive..."

As much as it pained Noah to agree he reluctantly nodded and felt the girl release her grip on his wrist but not let go entirely.

Though he didn't like it Noah was prepared to back off and to wait for the right opportunity to speak to Kurt and hopefully make his apology. He watched on anxiously when he saw the smaller boy glare at Karofsky and say something.

_'Don't make him angry Kurt... he has a wicked temper...'_

All his plans of leaving Kurt to fight his own battles went out the window when Karofsky's fist connected with Kurt's face and his head snapped back with the force of the blow.

Noah shook his arm free from Quinn's grip which had tightened instinctively in shock as she watched the assault taking place in front of her.

Racing across the parking lot Noah quickly ate up the ground between him and the group of thugs hurting _his _Kurt. It felt to the boy like he was running through tar as the few seconds it took to reach the dumpsters stretched like an eternity.

Kurt was now lying on the ground, arms protecting his head as Azimio took particular pleasure in landing kicks to the brunette's unguarded kidneys.

He was aware of Quinn's warning shout just before he ducked his shoulder and plowed right through Karofsky, lifting him bodily and propelling both himself and the larger boy into the side of the dumpster.

The sound of the impact was deafening and shaking the cobwebs from his head, which had grazed the side of the dumpster, Noah absently noted that Karofsky had gone down _hard_ and wasn't moving. Catching movement out of the corner of his eye he saw Palmer take off like the pussy that he was – he'd deal with him later.

Launching himself back to his feet Noah tackled Azimio to the ground, oblivious to the gash that had opened up above his right eye and to the blood now dripping down his face. Noah rained punches down on Azimio's face, with the larger boy giving as good as he got, landing some solid shots from his back.

Rage fuelled Noah's actions however and he would not be beaten, with a final scream cum roar he slammed his fist into Azimio's face and watched satisfied as the boy's nose clearly broke and he let out a final grunt before slumping back into unconsciousness.

Noah pushed himself off the now immobile Azimio and lay on his back panting on the asphalt as he waited for the parking lot to stop spinning. As he slowly started to become aware of his surroundings once again he could hear Quinn's hysterical voice, clearly pleading with someone not to fall asleep.

He cracked open an eye and he saw Kurt lying on his side about 10 feet from where he himself lay. He could see Quinn talking to the boy who didn't appear to be coherent and was waving his arm about in an uncoordinated manner.

Noah tried to get up but was prevented from doing so by a strong arm pushing him back down again. At first he thought it was Palmer, who he'd initially seen taking off as he had connected with Karofsky, however the fight drained away as his eyes focused on the concerned face of Finn.

"Stay down Puck, you're pretty messed up and you're bleeding pretty bad." Finn was dressed in his football workout gear and had clearly been in the gym after Glee had finished judging from the evident sweat stains on his clothing.

"Sit me up..." he ordered before groaning as the parking lot spun a little faster.

He felt himself being manhandled until he was sitting up like a child leaning against Finn's chest as the larger boy had sat down behind him to support his weight. A stray thought came to Noah's mind which he couldn't help but voice to the Quarterback,

"Dude... I'm hot for Hummel... not you... quit groping me..."

Noah was too far gone to realise what he'd just said, he was feeling nauseous and the parking lot just wouldn't stop _fucking_ spinning.

"How's Kurt?" he asked a definite slur to his words now as his concussion started to effect him more. The worried grimace the flashed over his friend's face was answer enough as he gave in to urge to close his eyes.

* * *

**A/N: YAY! Third draft of that particular chapter and it's finished and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. In case you haven't worked it out yet the title of the Chapter is "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word". I know this chapter is not the patching up of differences you would have probably hoped for but consider this... how hard is it going to be for the pair of them to stay mad at each other with days locked in the same hospital room?**

**Ooh the possibilities are endless.**

**And don't forget Fabray vs Jones coming up shortly...**

**PLEASE REVIEW.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: As I write this for some reason I can't access Chapter 22 on – something strange is afoot! I have had to remove the chapter and reload it, so apologies for those who got new Chapter alerts that weren't actually new chapters.**

**Anyway, it's only maybe 60 minutes after I did this that I'm posting the real NEW chapter so it's all good.**

**Chapter Twenty Three: Burt Lays The Smack Down**

* * *

It hurt to breathe. _God __did_ it hurt to breathe.

That was the first thing Kurt noticed as he returned to consciousness from the comfortable black place he'd been floating previously.

He could smell the antiseptic in the air and recognised he was moving at speed while he lay on his back feeling the lumpy mattress of the gurney beneath him.

_'Great... I'm in the hospital...'_

He could hear voices barking orders around him, though he couldn't work out who they were talking to or what about. The only word that seemed to stick in his mind was 'blood'.

Kurt hated the sight of blood, even his own, and so he was glad that his eyes weren't working right now and that the temptation to slip back into the dark was starting to reassert itself.

He could hear a voice mumbling quietly not realising that it was his own,

"...D'nt lke bl'd... no bl'd.. pl's..."

The temptation to go back to sleep was overpowering and he allowed himself to drift back into the black. The world could wait for a little longer.

* * *

When the ambulances had arrived at the School, Noah had fought the paramedic off when he'd tried to get him to ride on one of those stupid gurneys.

"I'mma bad'ss... n' way am I going 'n a tr'lley" he'd half-shouted, half-slurred at the young boy in the uniform.

_'He's really cranky when he's concussed', _noted Q as she grabbed up Noah's hand before he could think to use it to take a swipe at the paramedic.

The young paramedic to his credit hadn't argued with the clearly out of it football player. He'd simply reached into his case and retrieved a syringe, slipping behind the half-back while Noah was busy insisting to Finn that since he apparently enjoyed manhandling him so much he could support him as he walked.

A girlish yelp and a widening of his eyes was all the indication that Noah gave that a syringe had been jammed deep into the meat of his ass before a blissful sigh escaped his lips and his face went slack as the medication got to work.

Quinn couldn't help the giggle that escaped her as she looked at the spaced out expression on the boy's face. Noah was now listlessly prodding Finn's bicep in obvious enthralment, as the larger boy held him up.

"Hey... F'nns arms are r'ly str'ng..."

Quinn lost all composure when she looked at the expression on Finn's face. He probably couldn't have looked more uncomfortable if he'd tried. Deciding to have a little fun at the taller boy's expense she couldn't resist taking a pop,

"Noah... Noah..." she said drawing the boy's attention to her from where he'd been staring in rapt fascination at the flashing lights on top of the ambulance.

"...I think you should thank Finn properly for helping you...don't you?".

She grinned wolfishly as she watched the drugged up teen consider her words before he turned his head to Finn and slurred,

"Thank'o'Finn..." and pecked the boy on the cheek.

Quinn couldn't help but laugh now despite the serious situation. Ever since she'd first met Noah he'd suffered from what his Mom referred to as 'The Puckerman Weakness'. Simply put, any time any member of the family was on medication they'd react strangely to it. Noah's 'drunk toddler' shtick wasn't new but it hadn't gotten old in all the years she'd known the boy.

Ignoring the blonde who was clearly enjoying herself too much, the paramedic nodded in satisfaction that the jab had done it's job and that Noah was now more docile. Motioning to Finn to get moving, he ushered them into the back of the ambulance sitting the pair down beside the gurney containing a pale and unmoving Kurt who was strapped in tight.

Just before the doors closed Finn heard Q calling out that she'd call Mr Hummel and then follow them in Noah's truck.

* * *

The group had arrived at the hospital in double-quick time and a large black orderly with arms like tree trunks had taken custody of the now singing half-back,

_"The wheels on the bus go round and round..."_

Finn was all too pleased to release his friend and retreat to the waiting room for news and for Quinn to arrive.

He'd had to listen to several renditions of the song on the journey in the ambulance as each time the boy had finished and Finn had breathed a sigh of relief, Noah would forget that he'd just finished and announce that he was going to sing again.

Slumping down onto a couch in the waiting room he rubbed his tired eyes just as a frantic Quinn came barrelling through the automatic doors and into the reception area.

As the girl was about to blast past the boy sitting in the corner, he called out to her bringing her to a screeching halt.

Looking at the tired expression on his face, she sat herself down on the couch beside him as she asked in a small worried voice,

"Has there been any news?"

Finn shook his head in the negative as he slipped an arm over her shoulder in comfort and they settled in to wait.

* * *

The injured pair had been efficiently assessed by the Doctors and moved from the ER up to one of the rooms on the third floor.

Each boy was now laying in their respective beds, a thin screen separating them as Finn, Burt and Quinn were shown in. Quinn had sent a message to Mercedes just after having called Mr Hummel and the girl had replied advising that she was stuck in Dayton for the night at a family gathering but that she'd be there first thing in the morning.

The sedative in Noah's system had kicked in properly once he had been placed in the bed and he was now sleeping off what the Doctor had said was a mild concussion. The half-back's face was scratched up in places and there was a large waterproof plaster over his right eyebrow where he'd required stitches to seal the wound caused by the dumpster.

The main concern however in the room was for the small brunette in the bed closest to the window. He had yet to wake up since his momentary lucidity on the gurney back at the school. The Doctor had assured a tearful Burt that there was no permanent damage, the brunette hadn't even suffered a concussion, but that he was in shock and would simply wake up when he was ready.

The trio had split between the pair, Burt taking up position in the chair under the window and looking for all the world like he wouldn't be moving until his son had woken, and Quinn sitting by Noah, softly running her hand through his short hair as he slept.

Finn, who had attachments to both boys, one as a childhood friend and the other as a pseudo-stepbrother, split his time hovering uncertainly before pushing back the screen separating the beds and dragging a chair in between them.

The atmosphere in the room was tense, all past disagreements or arguments temporarily forgotten in the light of recent events. Burt was immovable from the chair in the corner, Finn had gotten him coffee a couple of times during the night, but he was not for leaving, not even for bathroom breaks.

Kurt had shown some improvement during the night, though he hadn't woken at all, the small boy had grumbled aloud as he shifted from being non-responsive to simply sleeping. The Doctors assured Burt that it was good news and that it was just a matter of time before his son woke.

* * *

Just as the sun was just peeking over the horizon, the dozing group of observers were startled awake by a loud groan from the half-back.

"Oh my head... did someone get the number of the train that hit me?"

Attempting to rub his eyes, Noah hissed as his hand snapped back on the end of the drip he'd been hooked up to during the night.

"Gaaaaaggh..." he exclaimed, frantically digging at the needle until it came free, "...God I _hate_ needles..."

Noah's theatrics had woken the only remaining slumbering body in the room whose eyes fluttering open had gone unnoticed until he complained loudly,

"Can it Puckerman and go back to sleep!"

The small brunette had then huffed and tried to go back to sleep himself before he appeared to realise where he was and that he wasn't alone.

"Kurt..." cheered Quinn from her seat on the far side of the room, she was dog tired and despite her enthusiasm couldn't find the energy to haul herself to her feet again. She settled for waving at the brunette enthusiastically.

Looking to his left, Kurt's eyes met his Dad's and an unspoken conversation took place. Meekly dropping his head, he was surprised when he felt his Dad embrace him and squeeze until his damaged ribs creaked in protest.

"Dad... ribs" he wheezed, grateful for whatever painkillers the hospital had pumped him full of during the night. He was sure that without them he'd have been curled up in a ball and moaning as his Father exhibited his relief.

He blushed as he heard a murmuring in his ear as his Dad ruffled his hair and pressed a kiss to the top of his head,

"Thought I'd lost you Kurt." The emotion in the man's voice was clear to all.

Realising what his next question was going to do but having to know, he looked to his Dad as he asked a question that shocked the other occupants of the room.

"So... is it better or worse than last time?"

The intake of breath from the non-Hummel's in the room seemed to suck the oxygen out of the air for a second as everyone reacted in dismay at the evenly toned inquiry.

Burt however responded just as calmly with perhaps only a hint of a hitch in his voice,

"Better I think. No broken or bruised bones the Doc says..."

"How long do I have to stay?"

"A day or so, the Doc says your ribs will be sore for a while after but you should be home by tomorrow night."

Kurt groaned as he came to a realisation,

"Mr Karlsson is going to kill me for missing detention."

Burt just raised an eyebrow at his son not having had any prior knowledge of his son's punishment. His son however wasn't to be bowed and glared back defiantly. There was a definite note of approval in his Dad's expression.

"I'm sure Mr Karlsson will let you reschedule...," offered Finn, "...he's always been pretty cool with me."

Kurt just rolled his eyes at the clueless Quarterback.

_'Of course Finn would think the local paedophile teacher was cool...'_

Kurt could still see the lingering looks of concern on the faces of the teens at the earlier question and felt bad that he was causing them to worry. It was Noah however who asked the question on each of their minds,

"There...uh, there was a last time?"

The half-back flinched at the glare Kurt shot him, quickly realising that his input was neither wanted nor welcomed. Clearly there was still some work to be done repairing bridges that receiving a concussion and stitches for the brunette couldn't fix.

Burt however answered for the glaring boy, immune to the gimlet eye turned his way as he spoke,

"Yeah... a couple of years back... doesn't get any easier..."

Kurt's annoyance evaporated in the face of his Dad's anguish and he offered him up a wan smile,

"I got better though... and I'll get better now too."

Nodding Burt snatched at the promise like a life-raft, clinging to it for dear life.

Clearing his throat after the emotional turn the conversation had taken Burt addressed the boy in the other bed,

"I want to thank you too Noah for helping my boy. If you hadn't done what... well what you did... I don't think we'd all be here talking right now."

Noah's throat closed up and he was only able to nod his head in acknowledgement of the older man's gratitude. He wanted to say he'd have done anything to keep his son safe but the words wouldn't come.

"Hey... does anyone uh, know what happened to Karofsky and Azimio?" asked Finn, glancing around the room as if expecting to see them suddenly standing in the corner.

Burt nodded before confirming,

"Yeah, I checked with one of the nurses when she came in to fix the boy's drips during the night... that boy Asimov or whatever... he's fine... a broken nose, some swelling... they sent him home..."

Burt paused and pinched the bridge of his nose regretting that he was the one to have to tell the mohawked football player the next piece of news,

"The uh, other boy he wasn't in very good shape... Broken clavicle, spinal swelling, concussion, fractured eye socket... he'll be out of commission for a good while."

The room was silent as they absorbed the news about Karofsky before two voices simultaneously muttered,

"Good..."

"Good..."

Kurt's eyes for only the second time since he'd woken up met Noah's and he could see the remorse in the other boy's eyes. He was still angry with the boy though and wasn't prepared to consider any half-baked apologies right now. Averting his gaze he missed the crestfallen expression that flashed across Noah's face for a second only to be replaced with a cool mask of indifference a moment later.

Addressing the soprano Burt asked,

"Do you need anything? Water, clothes, magazines... pink frilly stuff?" he said grimacing at the thought.

Kurt couldn't help the snort that escaped him at the thought of his Dad bringing him anything pink and frilly.

Lifting the bed covers slightly and peering at his attire, Kurt blanched and immediately grabbed his Dad's hand in horror.

"I need my pyjamas... the red ones... I can't wear these.. they're.. they're just hideous." He had no other words to describe the standard issue hospital pyjamas he'd been dressed in, no doubt they'd cause him to break out too.

Silently levering herself from her chair, Quinn ambled over to the soprano in a nonchalant manner before lifting the bed-covers up and taking a peek for herself.

The soprano squeaked and turned red at the invasion of his privacy and the complete destruction of his dignity as the blonde winked at him after taking a long look at his package, Burt's presence at his side be damned.

"Yep... he definitely needs his own pyjamas... these one's don't do him any justice..." she quipped as the occupants of the room chuckled at the red faced and spluttering teen.

The moment of laughter was interrupted by the arrival of a Nurse to change the bags on the boy's drips. Seeing that both boys were obviously still tired, Burt clasped Kurt's shoulder before excusing himself to go get the boy's pyjamas.

Halfway to the door Burt couldn't help but chuckle as the boy's list of demands had grown to include lotion, moisturiser, wet wipes, breath mints and his Chanel No5.

The last item on the list garnered him an appreciative smirk from the Nurse as she swapped out his drip. He looked back at her as if to say 'I may be in hospital but I still have class' and she smiled at him in response.

Burt simply rolled with the punches before murmuring,

"Gonna need a bigger backpack..." as the door swung shut behind him.

Noah had been silent for the most part since waking up. He realised that drawing attention to himself would only upset the brunette and his Dad was _right there_ dude!

Finn and Quinn excused themselves a little later, with Quinn promising to return shortly with Mercedes who'd sent a message to say she was on her way back from Dayton. Noah perked up at the thought of his best friend visiting and soon he hoped as it would mean less time spent having to ignore the jackass one bed over.

Finn just hovered looking indecisive and adorable Kurt thought, not sure whether he should speak or keep quiet or hug the soprano or not. In the end he settled for placing a hand on the brunette's shoulder and squeezing slightly. Kurt felt the emotion behind the gesture nonetheless. He kinda liked having a brother sometimes, even if a small part of him still wanted into his pants.

The tension in the little hospital room could have been cut with a knife as the door swung shut behind the football player and his pregnant ex.

Noah was sure he'd explode if he didn't try to clear the air with the soprano so clearing his throat he said,

"Uh... Kurt..."

He was shot down in flames before he could get any further,

"Shove it Puck, _nothing_ you could possibly say interests me..."

With that, Kurt shimmied down the bed and rolled over to face the window, his back to the jock as his own eyes betrayed the hurt he was feeling and a single tear escaped to slide down his cheek.

Noah hadn't been sure whether his heart could break any more than it already had. However the small brunette's reversion to calling him Puck proved that it was possible and it stung more than the boy would like to admit.

He simply didn't know what to do... Should he force the issue? Should he talk right over the top of the boy's objections? Or should he honour his wishes and stay silent?

Eventually he realised he'd spent so long pondering his options that he'd already selected by default to honour Kurt's request and that by the sound of the soft wheezing from the other boy, he'd already dropped off to sleep anyway.

Resolving to try again when the soprano was in perhaps a slightly better mood, he rolled over himself to face the door and closed his eyes, welcoming blissful sleep.

* * *

An indeterminate amount of time later both boys were roused from their respective slumbers by a soft knocking on the hospital room door before Mercedes and Quinn's heads popped round the door frame.

Spying that both boys were just getting their wits about them, Mercedes pushed open the door and firing off a glare to the still groggy half-back made a beeline straight for the adorably bed-headed and still yawning soprano.

She stopped in shock at the foot of his bed and Kurt's face fell at the thought that she was disgusted with him.

"Hey 'cedes..." he offered meekly.

He was disabused of this notion a second later when the girl burst into tears as she took in the cut over the bridge of his nose and the now livid hand shaped bruise below his jawline.

The girl launched herself round the side of the bed to grip the smaller boy in a hug which this time did leave him wincing in discomfort as he was due for his next dose of pain meds shortly.

"... ow ribs ow...", his pained voice broke Mercedes from her worry and she apologised to the boy profusely but he waved it off.

_'Mercedes is here!'_

Smiling at the girl he engaged her in conversation while he tried to ignore the boy in the other bed chatting quietly with the blonde.

* * *

As Mercedes had headed straight for Kurt, Quinn stopped by Noah's bed taking in the dejected slump of his shoulders and the envious glances he threw Mercedes as she embraced the brunette.

Keeping her voice low she enquired,

"He wouldn't listen I take it?"

Noah just shook his head and she was dismayed to see the true depth of the heartbreak her friend was suffering.

Enquiring after how he was feeling as no one else had apparently asked, he replied honestly that his head was fine but that it was his neck which had the Doctors most concerned as it had compressed slightly with the impact on the dumpster. The boy had been getting shooting pins and needles in his legs and arms since he'd first woken that the Doctors assured him would dissipate in time.

Their conversation moved on to lighter topics, neither the boy or girl willing to mention the elephant in the room.

Their discussion on what movies to watch when he was finally released, was interrupted by the sound of a heated but whispered conversation from the other bed.

"No.. 'cedes just leave it, I'm telling you to let it go..."

"I will _not_ just leave it, he hurt you Kurt and he has to pay... I have to _make_ him pay."

The football player simply watched unmoved as Aretha stormed up to the side of his bed and got in his face.

"It's a good thing Azimio did a number on your face white-boy or I might have had to knock you out myself..."

Noah wasn't interested in listening to the girl's threats and simply rolled his eyes at her unnecessary histrionics.

Obviously rolling his eyes wasn't the best way to defuse the situation as he heard Mercedes growl at him, before the whistle of displaced air met his ears and a blossoming stinging sensation appeared on his cheek.

_'She slapped me... the bitch slapped me...'_

Noah simply sat there in his hospital bed, in his hospital pyjamas and with a concussion and stared slack jawed at the furious girl. Unfortunately for Aretha, Quinn wasn't quite as forgiving.

Moving swiftly, much more swiftly than he would have ever expected the girl to given her condition, Quinn had launched herself at the other girl and grabbing her shoulder had spun her around to face her.

A second sharp crack, like a gunshot split the silence as Quinn's hand met Mercedes cheek and the girl's face rocked to the side at the impact.

Kurt by this time was struggling to get out of his bed to come to the aid of his friend, but he had been tucked in using military corners which restrained him better than handcuffs,

_'Stupid Nurse...'_

"Oh no you ditnt..." cried Mercedes as she raised a hand to her cheek feeling the sting on the skin.

"Oh yes I did... _bitch_..." said Quinn, clearly spoiling for a fight.

Kurt tried to interject himself verbally, now resigned to being too feeble to break out of the bed, shouting at Quinn,

"You get your hands off her Powderpuff!"

"Take a back seat Princess, this is between me and your girl Aretha" said Quinn, eyeing the other girl with a look of disdain.

"I ain't never hit a pregnant girl before Quinn, but in your case I might just make an exception."

"Yeah you would worry about that... what about a boy with a concussion, would you hit him about the head?" Quinn was livid as she gestured to the shell-shocked boy in the bed beside them. Noah had yet to offer any kind of resistance.

It was Kurt who again tried to defend his friend,

"He deserved it" he said plainly no hint of remorse clear on his face or in his tone, though inside he could hear his heart breaking a little more.

Noah sat listening to the venom in the brunette's voice and silently concurred that yes, he had deserved it.

Quinn however was on a rampage and was not to be denied.

"So if I were to come over and smack you about the head that'd be OK then?" she said making a move towards the soprano only to have her path blocked by Mercedes.

"Back the hell up blondie..."

Quinn scoffed at the girl and taunted the boy in the bed,

"Scared I'll hurt you Princess? Got your friend here to fight for you?"

A little fire returned to Kurt's eyes as he fired back,

"I'm not scared of you Miss Yoyo-Panties, you must be tripping if you think I am. I may think vaginas are scary but that doesn't mean I'm scared of you cos you own one! Even if it is overused..." the ugly sneer on the brunette's face was completely out of place and the little Finn voice in his head was struggling valiantly to be heard,

_'She's your friend too Kurt'_

_'Yeah well she hit 'cedes...' _he argued with himself.

Quinn was about to fire back, perhaps even into the now smirking Mercedes face using her fist when a deep voice from the doorway brought everyone up short.

"What the _hell_ is going on here?"

Standing in the doorway with an overnight bag in his hand was Burt Hummel and he looked pissed.

"Kurt. You apologise to your friend _right_ now." he demanded.

Kurt looked at his Dad trying to use the same defiant glare that had gotten him out of many other apologies in the past, only to find that his Dad was truly too angry with him right now for it to have any effect.

Dropping his chin to his chest in defeat he offered up a meek apology to the blonde,

"Sorry Quinn."

The pregnant girl was standing at the foot of Kurt's bed, hands gripping the handrail and knuckles white as she breathed heavily through her nose.

Nodding in acknowledgement of the apology, but still hurt by the spiteful words she offered up her own apology,

"I'm sorry too Kurt."

Mercedes just huffed in annoyance and was quickly silenced by a glare from Burt. His next words were unequivocal,

"This is a hospital. Where sick people come to get better. They don't need potty-mouthed over opinionated _children_ making what is already an unpleasant experience any worse."

Burt's use of the word 'children' clearly had an effect on the three combatants as they all had the good grace to avert their eyes and look abashed at the rebuke.

"Now the only person I saw when I entered this room who wasn't behaving abominably was Noah. I can't get rid of Noah as he's got as much right to be here as Kurt does. I can however, as Kurt's parent insist that you two leave..." he said pointing in turn to Mercedes and Quinn.

Both girls looked like they'd been slapped but meekly accepted that Mr Hummel was right, he could and apparently he was, exercising his right.

Kurt went to object but a sharp glare from his Dad had his jaw snapping shut again with an audible click.

Gathering up their things, Mercedes and Quinn both offered apologies again to the room in general before passing Mr Hummel and leaving the room, one girl turning left and one going right.

Sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand, Burt walked to the cabinet at the foot of Kurt's bed and set the bag down on top. Unzipping the bag, he lifted out Kurt's red pyjamas and placed them on the surface.

Zipping the bag back up he opened the door on the front of the cabinet and crouched as he slid the bag inside. Straightening up again and closing the door with a thunk, he addressed both boys,

"I may not be young. I may not be gay. But I'm not stupid. You boys clearly have issues you need to resolve. Resolve them or I'll resolve them for you by having Kurt moved to another room."

The implied threat was enough to get both boys nodding in meek acceptance as Burt sighed and made to leave the room.

"I'm going to go and get a coffee. I will be 30 minutes getting this coffee. By the time I get back I expect you two to have resolved _whatever_ this is between you."

Without a backwards glance, Burt wrenched open the door and disappeared out of sight.

* * *

Neither boy wanted now to start the discussion and so they both sat for the first 10 minutes in perfect silence, each content with their own thoughts.

They were brought out of their revelry by the Nurse with her regular painkiller doses in her hand. Neither boy was responsive to the admittedly attractive Nurse as she fussed over them, tidying up their bedclothes and fluffing their pillows.

Finally she left with a confused look on her face as the smaller boy had been engaging the last time she'd been in, and the pregnant air in the room became stifling once again.

Noah conceded that he would have to be the one to make the first step,

"Kurt... I... I... ah _fuck_ it why does it have to be so hard, I'm sorry..." he said running his hand through his mohawk in agitation.

Kurt looked as though he was biting back a sarcastic retort and so Noah took the opportunity to plow on.

"What... uh what _happened_ between us was..."

"...horrible... a mistake..." offered the small voice of the soprano.

Shaking his head vehemently Noah insisted,

"No! No it wasn't a mistake... or horrible...it was _fantastic_."

Noah could see the scepticism on the brunette's face despite his emerging blush and it hurt to think that he didn't believe him.

"I'm sorry for what I said when I kissed you... I realise now that I said something in the heat of the moment that I shouldn't have...and it hurt you..."

"What that you'd tell the world how you'd _fucked_ me Puck?"

Noah flinched and pleaded with the boy,

"Please... don't call me that. Hate me, despise me if you want, but please, despise Noah and not Puck. Because it was Noah that screwed this up."

Kurt could feel the despair rolling off the boy in waves and a part of him simply wanted to wrap himself into the bigger boy's embrace and tell him it would be alright. But he had to know if the boy was serious.

"You... you _hurt_ me Noah. I trusted you with something I'd never done with another boy, I gave you my first kiss and you abused that trust."

"I know... and I'm sorry... I never meant to say what I did... well no that's not true, I did..."

Kurt growled in warning at the boy who was starting to ramble,

"...I said that I'd want to tell the world... what I didn't say was that I wanted to say that I wanted to be... with you... and to hell with everything else."

Unable to bring himself to meet the soprano's eyes in case he started to cry, like he could feel was coming, he made his final roll of the dice,

"... I still do if you'll have me."

* * *

Kurt's brain appeared to have broken. At least that's what he thought at the time. He didn't worry about such concerns as why he was able to think that his brain was broken though, that would just be silly.

"Uh..."

_'Good going Kurt... try a sentence...'_

Kurt's lack of response seemed to cause the other boy to curl in on himself as he saw now the tears that had been threatening to fall from the football player's lashes spill over.

_'He's still Noah... and I made a horrible mistake... ooh and 'cedes slapped him'_

Kurt didn't know what drove him to do it, why he unhooked his drip from his arm or shimmied snakelike from his covers, all he knew was he had to go and comfort the stupid jock on the other bed.

Shaky legs supported him just barely as he crossed the divide, landing beside he sobbing boy with a startled 'oomph'.

The presence of the smaller boy on the bed caused Noah to turn towards him, the agony of the past few days clear to see in his eyes.

Kurt could only think of one way to fix this,

so he kissed him...

* * *

**A/N: Yaaaahoooooo! Ding ding, last stop... the Angst Express has reached it's final destination. We now have a relationship developing between our two favourite characters, somehow I've got to weave in adopting a whistle-kid and Kurt getting pregnant... only kidding MPREG stories really freak me out.**

**This chapter now takes this story above the 80K mark making it the most wordy M-rated Kurt centric fic on . Considering I started out simply writing to keep myself amused I must say I've been simply blown away by the support of some of you kind folks. And when you consider I only started writing this fic on 30 June we've all come such a long way together.**

**Oh and Brian... did you see your quote? Thank you for your vagina monologue, I think it fitted perfectly don't you? XD**

**PLEASE REVIEW**

xoxox


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

**A/N: So here we are again, Chapter 24. Weekends with nothing to do but put on the golf and write fanfic are my worst nightmare, 16 hour days of obsessive slash writing, phew!**

**Oh and sorry to disappoint Brian but Kurt and Noah will be taking their time, so as much as I'd like to promise blowjobs in the middle of the Choir Room with Rachel trying valiantly to ignore them and complete her scales in the corner. I just can't see it happening, I mean what would Mr Schue say? Actually I have an idea on that...**

"**Uh... OK good going Kurt... and congratulations Puck for reaching High F... I honestly didn't know you had it in you... I'm not sure though whether it's appropriate for Regionals." - (Hell it's got my vote!) :-)**

**Oh and I'll have to say no to the whole having of the babies thing... what did I say before about MPREG freaking me out?**

**Oh and there's a duet coming up shortly with interspersed vocals. I had a hell of a time trying to separate them out and eventually had to just settle for normal font being the principal singer and italicised for the secondary singer – I'm not going to spoil the surprise of who's singing what. I hope it's easy enough to understand.**

**XD**

**Chapter 24 – He's Your WHAT?**

* * *

Noah's brain had stopped working. The cogs had all snapped and all that was rattling around in his oversized noggin were little pieces of scrap metal.

As he felt the brunette's lips softly brush his own, he could literally feel the weight he had been carrying on his shoulders lift and the cloud he had been living under melted away leaving nothing but blue skies.

The kiss was tentative, undemanding and completely _right_. There was no pressure to go farther, there was no groping or frottage or over-active hormones... OK there were over-active hormones, but they had them under control for now.

Before he could process all of this, he realised that Kurt was no longer kissing him. Opening his eyes which had closed involuntarily just moments earlier he stared into the most beautiful face he'd ever seen.

The brunette giggled at the slack jawed expression on the football player while Noah shook himself and grumbled good-naturedly,

"Yeah... laugh it up Hummel..."

The smaller boy just smirked at him before a serious expression crossed his face again,

"So... what does this make us? Boyfriends?"

Noah considered the question,

_'What does it make us? Friends? Boyfriends? Partners? Fuck buddies?'_

Realising that it didn't really matter as long as he got to be with the boy he answered honestly,

"Whatever you want."

The brilliant smile his declaration brought from the smaller boy convinced Noah his response had been the correct one as Kurt shuffled slightly on the small bed in order to get under the covers with the football player.

Noah froze at the realisation that the small, wriggling brunette was climbing into the same bed as him just seconds after they'd what... gotten together?

"Uh... Kurt... " he said not wanting to disappoint the clearly elated boy who was huffing again and muttering something about Military Nurses?

_'Military Nurses... huh?'_

"Kurt..." he tried again, this time the urgent tone causing the smaller boy to pause in his wriggling, "...please don't take this the wrong way but I don't think we should go too fast..."

Kurt just giggled at the bashful look on the football player's face before he scoffed,

"Don't flatter yourself sweetie, I'm just cold... besides my ribs hurt too much to do much of anything right now."

The relief on Noah's face was plain to see as he flipped back the covers for the soprano resulting in more growling from the brunette who it seemed just couldn't fathom out how to untuck these beds.

Slipping under the sheets, Noah threw his arm around the brunette as he snuggled into the warmth of the boy's side.

Noah sighed contentedly realising _this_ was what he wanted. The warm body next to him was a balm to his soul, a piece of a puzzle that had eluded him for so long.

Speaking softly, so as not to disturb the lightly dozing boy he had to ask,

"We're, uh... we're OK now right? You're not mad that I want to go slow?"

The light giggle from the brunette and the hand that squeezed his cock through his pyjama pants answered his question,

"Hands... hands in bad places..." he cried in feigned shock. Little-Noah remained flaccid and unresponsive to the brunette however as a result of the sedatives still pumping through the jock's system.

The brunette's giggling continued as he released his grip on Little-Noah, pressed a kiss into the boy's neck and let his eyes slip shut before mumbling,

"Sing for me Noah?"

His small voice and pleading tone were the work of the Devil, Noah surmised as he considered what he wanted to sing. Kurt had just about run out of patience and was going to poke the boy in his ribs as he heard the smoky vocals from the larger boy,

"_There's a saying old says that love is blind,  
Still were often told, seek and ye shall find,  
So I'm going to seek a certain lad I've had in mind,  
Looking everywhere, haven't found him yet."_

Recognising the song choice, Kurt couldn't help but smile and float away blissfully on the boy's gentle and deep vocals,

"_He's the big affair I cannot forget,  
Only man I ever think of with regret,  
I'd like to add his initial to my monogram,  
Tell me, where is the shepherd for this lost lamb?" _

As Noah approached the chorus he smiled as he heard the small soprano harmonise with him softly as he nuzzled into his neck,

"_There's a somebody I'm longing to see  
I hope that he turns out to be  
Someone who'll watch over me  
I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood  
I know I could always be good..."_

Looking to the now quiet brunette, Noah couldn't help but chuckle to realise that he'd fallen asleep. Placing a kiss to the top of the boy's head, _his_ boy's head he realised with no small amount of amazement he softly whispered the final line,

_"Someone who'll watch over me..."_

* * *

Wiping away a stray tear Burt retreated from the doorway where he'd frozen in shock, the coffee cup in his hand long forgotten, at seeing the two boys entwined together on the one bed. He'd almost been about to rip the punk jock a new one when his son had asked the boy to sing for him and his heart had swelled at the look of undisguised adoration on the taller boy's face, realising it was _only_ for his Kurt.

Deciding he'd drink his coffee in the waiting room, Burt made his way back down past the Nurse's station, running into Finn on the way. He snagged the boy's arm as he nodded to him and made to sweep past, obviously intent on heading to the boy's room.

"Uh... hey Mr H... where are we going?..." asked Finn with a little apprehension as he stumbled to keep pace with Burt, "... I swear I haven't used the 'F' word since that night..."

Burt couldn't help it, the prankster in him wanted to mess with the naïve Quarterback.

"You know what you did..." he said in an accusatory tone as he dragged the boy into the waiting room and pushed him in the direction of one of the couches.

The expression on Finn's face was priceless as he floundered truly having no idea why the bear of a man in front of him would be angry with him.

Eventually Burt couldn't keep up the pretense and he started chuckling heartily,

"Oh son, loosen up some will ya... I'm just joshing with ya. The boy's are sleeping so it's best just to leave them a while."

Finn seemed to deflate in relief and his wide eyes stopped darting around the room in search of an escape route.

"That was _not_ cool Mr H..." he said with a smile to show there were no hard feelings.

Burt just continued to laugh heartily at the boy's expense.

* * *

An hour or so later, whilst Burt took a bathroom break, he sent an obviously antsy Finn off to check on the boys.

Finn loped down the corridor, relieved in part to be away from the bear of a man that had spent the past hour making him sweat terribly.

Pushing open the door exuberantly he was met with a glare from the half-back and a hurried shushing motion.

Brow furrowing, Finn looked to Kurt's bed realising that the covers were messed up and the smaller boy was nowhere to be seen. He was just about to accuse Puck of having smothered the boy in his sleep and somehow flushed his body down the toilet, when he spotted a mop of brunette hair, tucked under the half-back's arm.

Finn just stared at the completely surreal vision before him of Noah Puckerman glaring at him and shushing him from waking an obviously sleeping Kurt Hummel. A Kurt Hummel he had his arm wrapped around and with whom he was sharing a bed.

"He's sleeping... so keep it down" hissed the half-back, noticing the slack jawed expression on his friend's face which he found hugely amusing.

_'Probably doesn't have a clue what's going on...'_ he thought.

Thankfully, though Finn's brain was about to switch off the lights and call it a day, his ears were still working and he nodded at the other boy in acknowledgement of the instruction.

Keeping his voice low he asked the question that Noah knew was coming.

"Uh... what the _Hell _dude?" eyes wide as he scratched the back of his head, seemingly searching for the escape hatch his brain was trying to use.

An unofficial holiday had to have been introduced called 'Torment Finn Hudson Day' as Noah couldn't resist winding the Quarterback up.

"What? You did this with Kurt when you shared a room so what's the problem? Kurt told me all about it dude..."

Affecting a confused expression Noah chortled inside as he studied the stunned face of his friend.

"Uh..."

Noah's expression cracked into a smirk and Finn's relief was evident as he realised he was being teased.

"Dude... don't do that to me... that's _harsh_ man!"

Noah just raised an eyebrow at the boy and cheered when the taller boy smiled in return.

"Seriously man... what gives?" asked Finn gesturing to the slumbering boy who had one hand scrunched up in the half-back's pyjama top and the other out of sight.

Realising he probably owed his friend an explanation he sobered and answered,

"He's... uh... _ah Hell_... Kurt's my boyfriend now..."

Running his hand over his face Finn just stared at the jock before him before asking a potentially damaging question, damaging for his own face that is,

"He's your WHAT?"

Noah hissed at the boy as his raised tone caused the soprano to moan and shift slightly in his sleep. Ignoring the now sheepish Quarterback he focused on the small body beside him before placing a kiss on the top of his head and watching with pride as a small smile lit up the boy's face in his sleep.

"What did I tell you about keeping it down?"

The rebuke in his tone was harsh though the volume low and he was rewarded with Finn holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"... Sorry dude... so... he's your boyfriend?"

Noah nodded in both acceptance of the apology and in agreement with the question,

"Keep it to yourself yeah... just for now... it's for him to decide who he wants to know and when."

Finn nodded in easy acceptance of the request, keeping this secret was something he could do, at least until he figured out whether Kurt was happy or not. But he had to ask,

"But... but what about the redhead?"

Noah tensed at the mention of the girl he'd all but managed to bury in his subconscious before he hissed at the Quarterback,

"You are _never_ to mention that again is that clear? Make sure Mike knows that too."

The menace in the boy's growling tone was enough to convince Finn that this was one thing that Puck was completely serious about. Nodding in acceptance he dropped the subject though he was still confused.

Moving onto a lighter topic he asked the boy if there was anything he wanted from home as he was swinging by to pick up Quinn for visiting time that afternoon.

Noah gave the boy a list of items which he boy scribbled down onto the back of his Spanish textbook before taking one last quizzical look at the pair and beating a hasty retreat.

_'God... that was awkward'_

He felt the body beside him stir slightly before a small voice caused his stomach to drop,

"What redhead Noah?"

The voice wasn't accusatory or angry just genuinely curious and Noah realised that he'd have to be honest with the soprano.

Sighing he pinched the bridge of his nose before answering knowing this could not go well.

"I'm not y'know..._gay_... you know that right?"

Noah hated himself for being responsible for the tears that shone in the eyes of the little soprano as he looked crestfallen at the admission. The smaller boy did however nod in resignation and seemed to shrink within himself.

"Hey... hey... none of that" chided Noah, squeezing the boy tight and tilting his head up slightly to place a chaste kiss on his lips.

Kurt smiled slightly though he still looked to be affected by the boy's prior statement.

"I still like girls... I just, I like you too... you're intoxicating to me..."

Clearing his throat he pressed on,

"The redhead... she was there... and she was beautiful and she _wanted_ me... I'd just run from your place and I was upset and... I don't even know her last name".

That last admission caught the jock off guard as let the thought sink in.

Noah was becoming increasingly concerned by the stretching silence of the brunette. He could feel his heart beating erratically as he realised this new relationship could falter before they'd even left their shared hospital bed.

"I... I need to know Noah... if you're with me... are you... are you going to want to be with girls too?"

_'If he says yes I'll let him... it'll hurt but I'll let him.'_

What Kurt didn't expect however was for Noah to get angry... _with him_.

"I know you're not that stupid Kurt!"

The brunette flinched and Noah immediately regretted his tone. Starting again, this time at a much lower volume and with a softer inflection he said,

"If I'm with you Kurt... I don't need or want anyone else. Clear?"

The smaller boy sniffled against his chest before nodding in acknowledgement.

Wrapping his arms around the brunette Noah nuzzled his neck and just held him until his sobs died away. He chuckled again a little while later as he found the boy had fallen back to sleep against his chest.

* * *

The next day and a half spent in the hospital was fairly routine. When the Nurse had come in to find that Kurt had skipped out on his drip and that it had been spilling onto his bedsheets in his absence she had not been best pleased.

She'd woken the slumbering boy and ordered him back to his now freshly made up bed. The little soprano glared at the unrepentant girl as he was frogmarched across the short divide and hooked back up to his drip.

The Nurse's ire couldn't withstand however the look of loss on the boy's face as he stared with puppy dog eyes at the taller boy in the other bed. With a pat to the boy's arm she grimaced in compassion and left the room ensuring both boy's were still in their respective beds.

From then on they'd stayed apart as Quinn and Finn had visited in the afternoon and Tina and Artie stopped by just before dinner.

Eventually the Doctors had agreed that there would be no harm in allowing the boys to return home and so they'd each been packaged up and led out of the hospital with Burt and Quinn trailing behind them. Quinn couldn't help the tear in her eye at seeing the smaller boy's hand trapped snugly in the larger one of her friend as they exited the building.

As the boys had to inevitably go their separate ways, both Burt and Quinn automatically gave them the privacy they wanted. Well actually Quinn did, Burt only did because Quinn had grabbed hold of the larger man's arm and bodily dragged him away.

"I'll... uh see you at school?" asked Kurt clearly looking uncertain where he stood.

Reaching for the smaller boy, Noah pulled Kurt into an embrace and kissed him thoroughly, delighting in the dazed expression on the brunette when he released him.

"You bet your cute ass you'll see me at school."

Noah watched chuckling as Kurt blushed at the compliment and spun around like a dog chasing it's tail trying to see his own ass.

"Trust me... its cute..." confirmed Noah with a leer.

The pair parted with another quick kiss before Burt had to practically bundle a salivating soprano into the Navigator and strap him in himself.

"Get off Dad... I can do it myself" he grumbled. Burt just rolled his eyes and left the boy to it before the two groups went in opposite directions leaving the parking lot deserted once again.

* * *

The following day when Noah had returned to school, the whispering and furtive glances followed him everywhere he went.

Not because anyone knew that he and Kurt were now together, only Quinn, Finn and Burt were in the know about that, or because he had a fading bruise on his cheek and a large plaster covering the stitches in his head, but because news of Karofsky and Azimio's fate had obviously been the talk of the entire school for the last couple of days.

Entire crowds of people, students and teachers alike, had stepped out of his way as he'd strutted down the corridors,

_'Yeah, I'm still totally badass... would have clocked Karofsky months ago if I'd known this would be the result'_

Noah had agreed with the soprano the night before that they would keep to themselves for the day until they could tell their friends in Glee about their new relationship before anyone else. Kurt had hit upon a plan to do this via song and Noah had reluctantly agreed with the soprano simply because the smaller boy had threatened to withhold his kisses if he didn't.

_'God I'm whipped and it's not even been two days... is there such a thing as a whipped badass?'_

Noah didn't particularly like the song the brunette had chosen for them either, he'd felt at the time, though he hadn't admitted it, that it was slightly demeaning to him. Still, if it was what Kurt wanted, then it was what Kurt would get. He certainly wouldn't be denying him anything his heart desired.

The decision to stay apart for the day however didn't help to dampen the burning desire within the half-back to ravish the boy whenever he'd smile and laugh at something Artie said or when he'd giggle and bump fists with Matt and Mike, who knew he liked doing it simply because no one would expect it of him.

Kurt had dressed to the nines for his return to school. He had on what Noah thought were his best pair of black skinny jeans paired with a knee length cardigan that looked like it had been hand stitched to fit the slim boy like a second skin.

Noah leant against his locker and tried to distract himself from thoughts of the soprano as he could feel his cock stiffening slightly which would be bad at least for now.

His spaced out gaze caused Quinn to chuckle at the football player as she approached him from the direction of the lunch room.

"Hey Q..." he said not paying particular attention to the blonde, his eyes fixed firmly on the jean clad ass of his boyfriend who was now putting books away into his locker. He watched entranced as Kurt dropped a sheet of paper from his binder and bent over to pick it up.

Noah's almost swallowed his tongue when instead of crouching like any sane person would to pick something off the floor, Kurt bent at the waist, stretching the fabric of his jeans and the cardigan across his tight ass.

Plucking up his notes, Kurt straightened and without any shame winked at Noah who he'd noticed had been staring at him in his door mirror, before picking up his bag, linking arms with Mercedes and heading off down the corridor. Noah could have sworn the smaller boy was swaying his hips suggestively on purpose.

"Fucking cock-tease" he grumbled causing Quinn to laugh at his expense.

Lacing her fingers through his she led him in the direction of the Choir Room and Glee club.

* * *

Glee club went smoother than earlier in the week with each of the groups working on their individual pieces and Mr Schue bouncing between them all offering tips and advice on how to better their performances.

About a quarter hour before he end of the period, Mr Schue brought them all to a halt and announced, with a fair dose of trepidation that Kurt and Puck had something that they wanted to test out on the group.

The Jazz Band set themselves up as they'd been 'instructed' by Noah. Actually he'd threatened them all with bodily harm and used his newly renewed badass reputation to convince them to help out. He couldn't help but smirk recalling Kurt rolling his eyes when he'd told him exactly how he'd dealt with it.

Each taking up their spots on opposite sides of the room, the brass began to play and the bass began to strum. Though he'd listened to the recording and learned his part, Noah was blown away by the improvement in what he had thought was a pretty average song when it was played live.

Kurt was the first to sing, his voice clear as a bell.

"You don't act up too much  
Ain't got that glamour touch  
You're trifling lazy  
Ain't worth a cigarette ash"

Pushing himself off the wall, it was Noah's cue to sing his part in counterpoint to Kurt's melody, his smoky voice not nearly as deep as the recording of Louis Armstrong he'd learned from but still effective nonetheless,

"_Look out there mamma, look out there,  
You carry me too fast, watch it baby"_

The pair ghosted around the edges of the room, never meeting but with their eyes locked on each other as they each lived their respective parts, as Kurt sang and Noah continued to add his comments,

"You're just my good for nothin'  
My sweet hunk o' trash

_My, my how you sound"_

There were clearly very few people, bar Rachel and Mr Schue, in the room who were familiar with the song. However from what Noah could see the assembled group were certainly enjoying it. Finn's foot was tapping and Brittany was nodding her head in time to the beat. Rachel however looked like she desperately wanted to elbow Kurt out the way and sing Billie Holiday's part herself.

"You're very short on looks  
_Here, here, here_  
Dumb when it comes to books  
_Look out, baby, watch it, honey_  
And you stay full of corn  
Just like a succotash  
_What you want me to do  
in my idle moments?_  
You're just a good-for-nothing  
But my sweet hunk o' trash  
_Let me get a word in there honey,  
you running your mouth"_

Smirking at the brunette and throwing him a wink, Noah let the music take him away as he eased into the performance, his eyes coming alight at the unbridled joy on the soprano's face. Switching roles it was now Noah's vocals that took precedence with Kurt commenting.

"You said I've worried you for years,  
I'm just a barfly mooching' beers.  
While you sweat over a hot stove slinging hash  
_Work my fingers right down to the elbows_  
Yes I may be good-for-nothing  
But I'm still your sweet hunk o' trash  
_First to admit it baby_  
You said I spread my love all around  
And with the chicks all over town  
But, how can I when you keep me broke  
So I can't... spend no cash  
Yes I may be good-for-nothing  
But I'm still your sweet hunk o' trash"

The pair now stopped skirting the edges of the room, moving to centre stage as the larger boy wrapped his arms around the soprano from behind nipping at the smaller boy's ear as they moved to the final verses, Kurt again taking on the principal singing duties,

"Listen hear Pops,  
You know you lie about your youth  
_I don't lie baby,  
I'm just careless with the truth, that's all_  
How careless can you be  
_Oh, no_  
With all young chicks  
You try to make a flash  
_No baby, it ain't like that, no_  
But you're still my good-for-nothin'  
My sweet hunk o' trash"

When Noah had been learning the song, there was a moment, _this_ moment in fact, where Louis would laugh at Billie. Noah had been worried that his own attempt would sound false.

However looking out at the sea of faces as they all struggled to come to grips with what they were witnessing proved to be the perfect encouragement for the boy as he laughed heartily before Kurt's voice continued with the final section. Glancing from the crowd to the flushed boy, he revelled in the other boy's bright smile and the slight giggle in his voice he had caused as he nipped playfully at his ear again.

"Now when you stay out very late  
It sure makes me mad to wait  
_How come, baby?_  
'Cause, you come home too tired  
To raise just one eyelash  
_Watch it baby, watch it_  
You're just good-for-nothing  
But you're my sweet hunk o' trash  
_Yes indeed!"_

As the band played out the final few chords of the song, Kurt turned, still within the larger boy's embrace as he looped his arms around the boy's neck and stared up into his eyes. Noah saw the small boy lick his bottom lip and couldn't resist the invitation.

Dipping his head, he snatched hungrily at the little brunette's lips, delighting in the moan he was able to elicit.

Like any time Noah had the soprano in his arms, the world melted away until it was just him, Kurt and sensation. Kurt had deepened the kiss almost immediately and was trying to it seemed, extract Noah's teeth with his lithe tongue.

Their make-out session was interrupted by the sound of a chair tipping over and a horrified voice from the gallery.

"Oh HELL naw..."

* * *

**A/N: And there we have it another chapter down and the Glee club now know! Seeing as this is a Glee fic I tried to incorporate some more songs than I have previously. I've been on an Ella Fitzgerald kick of late which led me to my song choice today. **

**I also thought it was rather apt to use a song that mentioned Succotash considering it's a dish that contains Lima Beans... but then that's just my own twisted sense of humour.**

**And then when I was trying to figure out where to insert my little paragraphs in between lyrics, I found Gaga sang this song on The Today Show just the other day – COS I'M A FREAK BABY! YEAH!**

**Credits are for "My Sweet Hunk 'o Trash" by Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong and "Someone to Watch Over Me" by Ella Fitzgerald.**

**PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU LIKE. PLEASE DON'T REVIEW IF YOU DON'T. PLEASE JUST REVIEW ONLY IF YOU LIKE. LOL. NO SERIOUSLY, REVIEW EITHER WAY I'M NOT FUSSED. **


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: Well here we are at Chapter 25 and 107 reviews. I cannot tell you how much that blows me away. Thank you all for your continued support.**

**WARNING: SLASH LATER IN THIS CHAPTER**

**Chapter 25 – Fallout and Fellatio**

* * *

Previously on Whatever You Want...

_Dipping his head, he snatched hungrily at the little brunette's lips, delighting in the moan he was able to elicit._

_Like any time Noah had the soprano in his arms, the world melted away until it was just him, Kurt and sensation. Kurt had deepened the kiss almost immediately and was trying to it seemed, extract Noah's teeth with his lithe tongue._

_Their make-out session was interrupted by the sound of a chair tipping over and a horrified voice from the gallery._

_"Oh HELL naw..."_

* * *

Mercedes was streaking across the divide towards the pair with a venomous look in her eye, the happy couple could only watch on in horror as the diva grabbed Santana by the ponytail and pulled... _hard_.

With a screech of pain the Latina had no choice but to follow the direction her hair had gone or lose it as she clawed at the air in front of her.

Slinging the girl back the way she came, Santana went sprawling into an empty chair only to growl animalistically and again launch herself at the now truly concerned Kurt.

"He's mine _homo_... don't think I don't know what you've done..."

Kurt's eyes teared up as the rest of the room, bar Mercedes, stared on in shock. Thankfully for the brunette's personal safety however the black girl had positioned herself between the obviously mental Latina and the soprano.

Tackling Santana around the waist, Mercedes was successful in stopping the enraged Cheerio's approach before Mike and Matt shook off their shock sufficiently to help to restrain the former assistant head-cheerleader.

"Get... get your hands off me you Neanderthals!" screamed Santana while she was bodily restrained by the football players.

Kurt meanwhile had turned into Noah's chest clearly upset at the reaction of his sometime friend to the supposed loss of her sexting partner.

"Shh... it's OK you're fine..." Noah tried to soothe the clearly frightened soprano as he could feel the brunette's shaking against his chest. Noah himself was completely in shock, he had never expected Santana of all people to respond to his being with another guy with such hatred.

Santana took the opportunity to chip in once again however,

"You're not going to be fine Ladyface... not even close", she spat still trying to struggle from the firm grip of the football players.

Mercedes was looming in front of the Latina, clearly furious with the girl and with a hand on her hip.

"I don't know what your problem is girl but I told my boy Kurt that I'd have his back as long as he's happy and you are _not_ going to stick your lipstick lesbian nose where it's not wanted."

"Who even asked you what you want Ten-Ton Sally?"

A dull smack split the air as Mercedes fist connected with the Latina's face and the girl went limp for a moment, suspended as she was by Matt and Mike.

"I may be fat but you're just plain ugly and I can diet."

Matt took that moment to speak up in defence of Mercedes,

"I uh... I kinda like you just the way you are Mercy."

Mercedes had the wind knocked out of her sails momentarily as she blushed at the football player, who was now scuffing the floor with his sneaker and looking monumentally embarrassed.

The moment was broken by Mr Schue shaking himself out of his shock and trying valiantly to restore order. Mike and Matt seemed to be concerned, both for Kurt and Puck and for Santana who was just starting to struggle again in their grasp.

Finn was still sitting in his chair, impotent in shock, unsure exactly how the events of the last few seconds had occurred or why. Quinn had abandoned her chair in order to rush over to Noah and Kurt and to try to assist in the jock's attempts to calm down the now hyperventilating teen. Rachel, Artie and Tina simply looked on in shock, for once Rachel not having an anecdote or a trite word to offer to the group.

The strange tableau was broken however by a distraught voice from the blonde in the corner.

"Sanny?"

Brittany's face was a mask of confusion and misery as she stared at the Latina not comprehending entirely what was going on.

"Oh save it Britt..." snapped Santana with venom causing the blonde girl to start crying silently, "... did you really think what we had was going to be it for me? I had plans... I had plans for that meat head there and his little _homo_ Princess has now screwed that up with his _abnormality_."

The Latina was clearly unhinged and on a roll, completely uncaring of the double standard she'd just applied to the soprano given her own dalliances with Brittany, not one person in the room was going to be able to stop her diatribe however.

"Puck was _supposed_ to go play the field. What did I care if he stuck his dick in every middle aged woman from here to Dayton? He was _supposed_ to get his scholarship and get out of this hick town and he was _supposed_ to take me with him!"

The group just stared incredulous at the girl and her deluded fantasy world. Everyone in the room knew that Santana and Puck had flirted and dated and broken up so many times that it was a running joke. Nobody however had ever seen it coming that Santana would have so many plans in her world that hinged on the half-back staying faithful like a puppy and always coming back to her.

Brittany was now sobbing loudly and being comforted by both Tina and Artie as huge fat tears ran down her face.

"He'll never love you you know... how could he? A little _fag_ like you can't make Puck happy. You spread your legs for him _fag_? Does he ride you til you scream?" Noah glared in undisguised hatred at the girl as he could hear Kurt murmuring against his chest, the words indistinct.

"Alright that is _enough_!" cried Mr Schue, clearly having run out of patience. The teacher stood red faced and with his hands on his hips staring at the Latina cheerleader with a mix of revulsion and concern.

Nodding at Noah he said pointedly,

"Puck take Kurt and go... just go..."

Taking this for the dismissal that it was, Noah tried to get the smaller boy to start moving however he was too distraught to understand what the jock wanted him to do.

Sighing and running a hand through his mohawk in agitation he simply scooped Kurt up bridal style and carried him from the room, Quinn following at their heels.

Pointing at the still fuming Mercedes who was still all up in the Cheerio's face, he snapped at the girl,

"Mercedes get the _hell_ out of Santana's face you're not helping any."

The girl looked furious to be told she wasn't helping when in her mind she was protecting her best friend but one look at Mr Schue's eyes made her realise what he meant.

Taking a step back without breaking eye contact with the now, thankfully, silent and glaring Santana she leaned against the piano which had long since been abandoned by Brad in all the mayhem.

Motioning to Mike and Matt to let the girl go, much to their surprise and unvoiced objections, Mr Schue stared into the girl's crazed eyes and ordered,

"Santana, sit in that chair..." the girl looked mutinous but her glare did nothing to affect the man while he was on a roll, "... do not move from that chair or so help me I'll make Sue Sylvester look like a care bear."

The threat combined with the palpable anger that was radiating from the teacher was clearly enough to have caused the girl to consider her own self preservation and though not happy, she threw herself into the chair and crossed her arms over her chest in defiance.

Motioning to Artie and Tina he asked the silent question of whether they could take Brittany and get her cleaned up. They both nodded and Tina whispered in the blonde girl's ear as she helped her to her feet and out the door, Artie following just behind.

Eventually the room had cleared leaving only Santana, sulking in her chair with the back of her hand pressed to staunch the small trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth, Finn still sitting immobile in his chair in shock and Rachel, Matt and Mike.

Addressing Finn and Rachel he asked them,

"Finn would you please go find Coach Sylvester? Rachel I'm going to need you to get Principal Figgins."

Both nodded and took off out of the Choir Room like the hounds of hell were nipping at their heels.

Sighing Mr Schue pinched the bridge of his nose before nodding in thanks to the two football players standing sentry either side of the Latina.

"Would you like to offer up an explanation Santana for your behaviour?" he asked.

The girl simply rolled her eyes and refused to speak to the teacher who simply shrugged and gave up.

Walking to the door to the Choir Room, he closed it and turned the lock with an audible thunk.

"Thanks guys, you can sit down now."

Both boys nodded, eyes wide as they were still trying to sort out for themselves what had just happened as they moved off to the side and sat heavily in two of the chairs.

Now they sat and waited for the Cheerio's coach and the Principal.

_'This was not going to end well.'_

* * *

After carrying Kurt out of the Choir Room, Noah had stood in the hallway unsure exactly where to go. Thankfully for the jock Q was there to tug on his sleeve and motion him towards the girls bathroom at the end of the hall.

Kicking open the door with his foot, Noah almost dropped Kurt as a clearly spooked Jacob Ben Israel came tearing out with video camera in hand.

Unable and unwilling to think about what the creepy reporter boy could have possibly been doing in the girls bathroom with a video camera, Noah carried the now quietly sniffling soprano over to the bank of sinks and set him down on the counter, much like he had at the brunette's house just a week earlier.

Quinn busied herself by digging around in her bag, extracting a packet of tissues which she opened and offered to the jock. Smiling gratefully at the blonde girl, Noah took the tissue, tilting his boyfriends head back and carefully and gently wiped away the boy's tears.

Quinn couldn't help but smile slightly at the obviously caring movements of the taller boy as he tried to offer silent comfort to the soprano. It amazed her to think just how far her friend had come since that day in the Nurse's office when he'd first admitted to feeling guilty about his treatment of the brunette.

"She's right you know..."

The smaller boy's voice echoed off the bathroom tiles as Noah flinched at the tone, devoid as it was, of any emotion.

"No she's not Kurt." Noah wasn't prepared to argue with the boy over this. It was a pointless argument and just made him angry.

"I... I can't make you happy Noah... I can't give you a perfect life... no kids... no picket fence..."

Though his tone was harsh and he knew it, Noah had to respond that way to make the soprano snap out of this,

"Who ever said I want kids? A picket fence? For _fuck's_ sake Kurt we're two days into this and you're worried about kids?"

The smaller boy seemed to flinch at the anger clearly evident in his boyfriend's tone before Quinn, who both boys had forgotten was even there, huffed and elbowed Noah out of the way.

Standing in front of Kurt she gripped his chin and forced the boy to look her in the eye.

"Now you listen to me Kurt Hummel. I _will_ not have you ruining this with your stupid insecurities..." the boy tried to object,

"...s'not stupid..." he grumbled.

"The _are_ stupid Kurt. Look at Noah..."

Kurt had his eyes screwed shut trying to fight back the tears and he shook his head defiantly.

"Kurt _look_ at Noah."

The soprano cracked open an eye and his mouth fell open with a little 'oh'.

Noah was standing off to the side looking at the brunette while large teardrops spilled from his eyes. Though he was clearly upset he was not making a sound.

"Do you really think a badass like Noah would cry for just anyone? He wouldn't be here if he didn't want to be and you know that. So forget what that psycho bitch in the Choir Room said and make him stop crying please... it's pathetic" she said winking at the soprano.

Kurt felt truly wretched for the pain he had caused Noah and a sob bubbled from his chest. Reaching for the taller boy he was relieved when he was snatched up in a bruising embrace as he murmured over and over,

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

Breaking from the embrace Noah kissed the smaller boy tasting the salt from both their combined tears.

Kurt clung to Noah like a drowning man to a lifebelt as he deepened the kiss with a fiery passion.

At the sound of an embarrassed squeak the pair broke apart to look at a red in the face Quinn who was fanning herself and smiling at the pair.

"You're good together... you know that right? I never realised two guys kissing could be so... _hot!_"

She blushed before mumbling something about pregnancy hormones.

Noah just looked at his friend and decided to lighten the mood a little,

"Hey... I just had a thought, if I'm dating a guy now... does that make you 'My Judy'?"

Kurt snorted and then giggled wondering where on earth the macho, badass, 'dating a guy for two days', Noah Puckerman had picked up on that phrase.

Pleased that the brunette was no longer crying and that his attempt at humour had been well received, he pecked the boy on the lips once more before lifting him down from the counter.

Kurt looked dead tired after the emotion of the day, and simply leaned into Noah who was only too happy to support his weight. Yawning and rubbing at a tired eye, Kurt asked,

"Take me home Noah?"

Placing his arm around his boyfriend on one side, he manoeuvred them into position so that he could sling his other arm over Quinn's shoulder.

The three couldn't help but giggle as the multi armed spider-person tried to fit through the bathroom door.

* * *

Mercedes was pissed. Seriously pissed.

She'd sat and she'd listened as Mr Schue explained to Coach Sylvester and Principal Figgins the happenings of that afternoon.

After Sue had gotten off her rant about 'sneaky gays' and their danger to society, she'd decided that the humiliation of her boyfriend apparently liking to give blowjobs more than receive them, was punishment enough for the Latina.

Mr Schue had tried to object but Sue had cut him off,

"I'm sorry Will... I'm trying to take you seriously but... your hair is just so ridiculous I find myself losing the will to live. I actually have to remind myself to continue breathing."

Clearly Sue had something over Figgins as with a pointed glare he wordlessly nodded in agreement with the Cheerios Coach and Santana was duly sent on her merry way with no further punishment. Mr Schue had done his best and tried to reason with Figgins but the man was clearly terrified of Coach Sylvester.

After the door to the Choir Room closed behind the trio of Sue, Figgins and the now smirking Santana, Mercedes simply walked over to in front of the Cheerios trophy cabinet, picked up a chair and launched it through the glass.

The resounding smash followed by the tinkling of broken glass didn't alleviate her anger entirely but it was certainly a start. Next she'd find a way to do the same with Santana's face.

She turned back to the rest of the room to find Mike and Matt looking at her with equal measures of awe and fear, and Mr Schue simply sitting on the piano stool with his head in his hands.

"This is _bullshit_ Mr Schue and you know it." she exclaimed.

Mr Schue didn't bother to reprimand the girl for her swearing, he was half tempted to swear himself as it _was_ bullshit. He simply nodded and answered her,

"I tried Mercedes... but you saw what I'm up against."

Nodding her head regretfully she accepted that as always Mr Schue had done right by the kids in Glee.

Mr Schue had yet to raise his head out of his hands and he clearly wasn't going to be doing so any time soon, so Mercedes picked up her bag, said a quiet goodbye and was out the door in three seconds flat.

* * *

By the time Noah had driven Kurt home in the Navigator, having sent Q back to their place with a hurried promise that they'd be OK, Kurt was drowsily leaning his head against the cool glass of the passenger side window.

The moment Noah had started up the car he'd switched off the radio, music just didn't seem appropriate at that moment. And so the journey was made in silence, only broken on occasion by a muttered curse word here or there as Noah found himself being cut up or caught at lights.

As he pulled up outside Kurt's house he saw that he house was dark and asked,

"So where's your Dad tonight?"

Kurt seemed to perk up at the question before answering,

"Poker Night... he'll stay at Hank's place til morning".

Noah switched off the engine and pulled the keys from the ignition as he looked over to Kurt to see him staring out the window at nothing in particular.

"C'mon lets get you inside".

Nodding in agreement, Kurt popped the passenger door and hopped out while Noah did the same.

Taking the smaller boy's hand in his, Noah led the boy up the garden path to the porch where he retrieved the spare key and let them into the house.

"Really need to move that key... everyone seems to know where it is now."

Not stopping in the main house both boys headed for the basement door. Kurt simply threw a hand out without looking and mashed the keypad and to Noah's surprise the lock opened with a thunk. Pushing the heavy door open with his foot both boys descended the stairs.

The atmosphere in the silent room was oppressive as Kurt fumbled about toeing off his shoes and removing his socks.

Noah simply stood and watched as the brunette went through his routine, a clearly practiced routine of cleansing and moisturising.

He was just about to suggest that he head home when Kurt surprised him with an unexpected question.

"Noah... would you... would you please stay tonight? I don't want to be alone".

It wasn't a request Noah could deny the brunette, he looked so small and vulnerable with his hair out of his eyes in that headband and with rosy, freshly scrubbed cheeks.

Nodding he watched as the soprano's eyes lit up in gratitude and he spritzed his face with his moisturiser.

Kurt took the opportunity to look at the strong figure of his boyfriend in the mirror, his _boyfriend_, he still couldn't get over that as he stood in his jeans and tee looking so damn edible.

Standing again, he raised his arms in invitation to the boy who crossed the short distance between them to wrap him up tight in a tight embrace.

Tilting his head upwards, Kurt kissed Noah tenderly, running his tongue along the taller boy's lower lip seeking permission. Noah opened his mouth inviting the questing tongue in and massaging it with his own.

Noah could feel the desperation in the smaller boy as he pressed his body against his and he could feel his cock swelling in response to the boy's movements.

Edging the pair backwards Kurt could feel the back of his knees impact with the bed and he crawled backwards with Noah following neither one breaking the kiss.

Lifting his hands to Noah's face Kurt brushed across his cheeks clearing them of the residue of his earlier tears, as he slid his hands around to the back of Noah's head. Noah moaned into the kiss and lowered his full weight down onto Kurt.

This time it was Kurt's turn to moan, as he felt something extremely long and very hard rubbing against his thigh. Noah was aroused, and he was the one who caused it. It gave Kurt a feeling of accomplishment to know that he turned the larger boy on so completely. Noah left Kurt's mouth and chuckled as the smaller boy grumbled at the momentary loss before hissing in pleasure as the jock travelled to his neck leaving a path of light kisses along his jawbone.

"God…Noah" Kurt groaned when Noah licked at the shell of his ear. He could feel the taller boy's fingers sliding up his chest and popping the buttons on his cardigan before the piece of clothing was pushed from his shoulders to pool under him.

Sitting up on his haunches and breaking the contact of his lips on the pale boy's skin, resulting in a second disappointed growl from the brunette, Noah peeled his tee off and couldn't help but chuckle at the look of awe the move caused to appear on Kurt's face.

"I think we're wearing far too many clothes don't you?" Noah whispered delighting in the shiver his words caused to run through the smaller boy.

"Yes... too many clothes.. fuck yes..." Kurt managed to choke out through the lustful haze his mind was currently wallowing in. Slipping his hands under Kurt's white tee Noah stripped it from the brunette marvelling at the expanse of pale skin revealed to him.

"God you're beautiful."

Kurt blushed at the compliment and watched entranced as Noah descended upon his chest, lathing kisses over ever inch of exposed skin. He nipped at Kurt's collarbone, stopped to suck on each of his nipples and then made a beeline down his stomach to his navel.

Kurt could feel the warm, moist breath brushing across his stomach, and he thrust his hips upwards instinctively seeking friction. Noah's attentions however never left Kurt's waist, but he did run a hand between his legs.

Stopping and looking into the boy's lust filled eyes, Noah sought permission from the soprano to go any further.

"If you stop now Noah Puckerman I will _kill_ you."

Noah chuckled at the brunette as he palmed Kurt's erection through his jeans.

"God, Kurt…" said Noah, his voice almost catching in his throat.

A part of Noah had been concerned that he was pushing the brunette too far too fast and that he would scare the boy off. Now however with the outline of the soprano's cock clearly visible against the dark material of his jeans there was no denying that Kurt was enjoying his attentions—he was as hard as Noah was at that moment.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Noah undid the button on Kurt's trousers and slid the zipper down.

Deciding in that moment that this evening would be all about the brunette and about showing him exactly how much he wanted to be in this relationship, he gripped the boy's skinny jeans on either side and pulled as Kurt assisted in their removal by shimmying. Finally Noah pulled them off his legs. Unbuttoning his own jeans he removed these and tossed them over his shoulder, uncaring of where they might land.

He could see now quite clearly the outline of Kurt's cock against the material of his briefs and he now found himself getting nervous at being so close to his first gay sexual experience.

Looking into the eyes of the brunette however he saw nothing but lust mixed with equal measures of trust. Crawling back up the boy's body, Noah made sure to position himself so that their erections rubbed together through the material of their underwear.

"Ohh…" moaned Kurt throwing his head back and biting his lip.

"Yes…" hissed Noah before thrusting slightly against the smaller boy.

Drawing the brunette into another kiss he poured every ounce of his being into the action, a desperation within him to give the other boy a night he would never forget.

Once again abandoning the boy's lips he moved to kissing his forehead, his eyelids, his nose and jaw. The smaller boy was whimpering now at the feelings the larger boy's still thrusting hips were drawing from him.

"Noah... please..." he begged, his own shame at his neediness being overridden by the sensation.

Noah couldn't help but chuckle as he ran his tongue around the shell of the boy's ear before nipping on the lobe, earning himself a squeak in the process.

"Patience... you'll get what you want... just enjoy it..."

Kurt's face was red and he was breathing heavily, his eyelids half closed as he rode the waves of ecstasy the taller boy was sending him on.

Ceasing his thrusting, Noah kissed his way down the brunette's neck, across his chest, stopping to lick and suck at the boy's sensitive nipples,

"Oh... oh... again..." said the smaller boy.

A low rumble of amusement escaped Noah at the smaller boy, who was now gaining enough confidence to order the jock around.

The ineffectual glare that Kurt aimed at Noah did nothing to dissuade him from his amusement as Noah also realised with some surprise that he _liked_ being ordered around by the brunette. His cock twitched in his underwear in response to the thought.

_'Huh... who'd have thought I'd like being sub...'_

"Again Princess?" he asked testing out the response of the brunette to the nickname.

"... Princess?" gasped the smaller boy as Noah took the moment to clamp his mouth around the soprano's nipple and lathe it with his tongue.

"Don't like it?" the note of uncertainty in the jock's voice was unmistakeable as he stopped worrying the little nub to look to the boy under him.

Kurt considered whether he liked it or not, in the end he had to ask,

"If I'm the Princess does that make you my Prince?"

Noah smiled at the boy before running his tongue from Kurt's chest right down to where a light downy fuzz of a treasure trail disappeared into his briefs.

"If you like..."

Nodding like he would seriously like it, Noah smirked before nuzzling the prominent bulge in the brunette's underwear revelling in the mewling noise that escaped his boyfriend as his eyes slipped shut.

"No Princess... open your eyes... I want to see your pretty eyes"

Noah was rewarded now with wide open baby blues staring back at him containing equal measures of apprehension and attraction. Noah couldn't help but try to soothe the nervous boy's nerves.

"Shh... just let me take care of you alright..." he waited and watched as the smaller boy simply nodded once before raising a challenging eyebrow at the jock who had yet to move again.

Placing both hands either side of the boy's underwear Noah looked again for affirmation and received it as he slipped the brunette's underwear off his cock slapping against his stomach at the lack of fabric to hold it in place.

Noah had never considered before now what he was about to do.

_'What if I suck at this?' _he worried before smirking at his own pun.

_'Hell... I'm a pro at eating girls out... this can't be much harder'_

Of course that day in the bathroom he'd wrapped his hand around the smaller boy's appendage but he'd been going on lustful instinct and hadn't given it any thought at the time. Now however he had the time to examine the healthy sized erection twitching as the brunette observed him observing him.

Kurt's cock was not unimpressive Noah decided. Not as large as his own certainly, though he suspected there were very few guys his age with a cock as large as his own. Beneath the hard shaft were two hairless balls, in fact Noah noticed, apart from the downy treasure trail which faded away to nothing, Kurt had no pubic hair at all. He liked it he realised. A lot.

Reaching out a curious hand, Noah wrapped his hand fully around the shaft at the base, marvelling at how hot and hard it was in his hand.

_'Funny how it feels different to my own'_

Marvelling in the little squeaks he could elicit from the brunette who was gripping the sheets beneath him, Noah gave the cock in his hand a little squeeze and a couple of pumps, running the pad of his thumb over the head and collecting the moisture there.

"Oh... God Noah..."

Kurt's face was flushed and the boy could see the beads of sweat on his brow as his half-lidded eyes begged for more.

Never taking his eyes off the brunette, Noah lowered his head and ran the tip of his tongue from base to tip along the underside of the weeping erection. The response from the boy under him was explosive.

"Oh... _fuck_ Noah... Jesus..."

The little brunette bucked wildly at the sensation as Noah pressed with his other hand on the boy's hips to pin him back to the mattress.

"Not Jesus... just badass..." he grinned before returning to his previous task.

The taste wasn't unpleasant Noah found, Kurt tasted like sex and raspberries and he found he wanted to taste more. Dipping his head again Noah slipped the head of Kurt's cock into his mouth, pursing his lips as he sucked gently.

As much as he wanted to prolong it, the sensation of the hard flesh laying against his tongue was so incredibly satisfying to the jock that he couldn't imagine stopping doing this ever. It was as if every minute he spent not sucking Kurt's cock and making the boy below him fall apart, was a waste of his time.

He stopped licking and took Kurt deep into his mouth, hollowed out his cheeks and sucked. Noah's hands flashed out to hold Kurt in place when he promptly started bucking his hips, thrusting himself into the football player's mouth. Kurt's hands found their way to Noah's hair, clutching at the short strands and trying desperately to find purchase.

Kurt was mumbling now, completely nonsensical jumbled up words as his head thrashed from side to side. Noah let Kurt do as he liked as he concentrated on making the boy beneath him come apart. At least as far as it was possible without starting to gag as the brunette thrusted perhaps a little too enthusiastically. Noah's nails dug in to the sensitive skin at Kurt's hips whenever the brunette threatened to thrust too far.

Noah's awareness was focused solely on the feeling of Kurt's cock sliding in and out of his mouth, it's length thick and wet with his saliva. His own cock which he had ignored up until now was pulsing in time with his heartbeat and he could sense that it wouldn't take much, if anything to bring himself to completion at that moment. However he fought down the burning desire to take himself in hand in favour of redoubling his efforts on the brunette.

That last decision was for Kurt his undoing.

"Noah... Noah I can't... I'm gonna..."

Noah knew exactly what he was going to do and didn't slow down much to the brunette's surprise. With a sound almost like a howl, Kurt shuddered once before flooding Noah's mouth with rope after rope of sticky white cum.

Noah hadn't considered swallowing until then and and kept his mouth locked in place, doing nothing to stimulate Kurt's cock and just gathering up his fluid. Feeling the liquid on his tongue he decided that though the taste wasn't unpleasant he didn't particularly like the flavour, however being unable to do anything else at that moment he swallowed his boyfriend's offering.

Noah detached his mouth from Kurt's cock with a wet plop as it flopped back against his thigh, slowly wilting back to it's flaccid state.

Crawling back up the soprano's body, Noah propped his head up on an arm as he observed the goofy smile and closed eyes on the brunette.

Tired eyes opened to look up at Noah as the boy slurred as a yawn overtook him,

"My Prince..."

Noah reached down and adjusted his own cock in his underwear, Little-Noah wouldn't be getting any treatment tonight, tonight was all about the brunette.

Grabbing the sheet, Noah pulled it over the pair of them before spooning the brunette from behind as Kurt sighed in content.

After all the emotion of the day, sleep found the pair quickly as the sun went down.

* * *

**A/N: Phew... *fans himself*... as much as I like slash fic, writing the stuff is so damn hard (terrible pun). **

**Glad to see I managed to catch a few of you out with my 'lil plot twist with 'cedes. Honestly guys, she said she'd have his back, I just can't see her not being in favour of Kurt being happy. Santana – frankly I just don't like her and I needed another bad guy after Karofsky's rather dramatic exit. **

**There's not much more to go in this story I don't think. Just a few things I want to tie up before the main event (calm yourselves) XD**

**PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU LIKE. PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU DON'T. EITHER WAY PLEASE REVIEW**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: Realising that quite a few of you would probably have coronaries were I not to write this and soon, I decided to give it a bash (got another horrible innuendo). Usually it'll take me a good four or five hours to write a short slash scene, mainly because I'm a guy and I want to get to the good stuff and forget that there's a lot I have to say like the removal of clothes, kisses and nips etc. Still this little interlude was rather easy to write actually and I got the whole thing done in a little over two hours. **

**Still, I'm exhausted and I'm going to go to bed now. Happy reading xoxo**

**WARNING: SLASH IN THIS CHAPTER**

**Chapter 26 – Pieces Of A Little Over Eight**

* * *

It was 2am. Or so the clock on the bedside table said and Noah needed to take a piss.

Slowly and carefully disengaging himself from the smaller boy, he slipped out from under the covers and padded to the bathroom.

Closing the door behind him and switching on the light, the jock was assaulted by the memory of the last time he'd been in this room in the dead of night.

How things had changed since then. Instead of just accepting his attraction to the brunette currently sleeping in the other room, the brunette was now his boyfriend and quite possibly - quite scarily - the most important thing to have happened to Noah in his short life.

The sheer depth of the feelings he was experiencing were of concern to the half-back. Other than his Mom, Sarah and Quinn he'd never really formed any emotional attachments to anyone else. And to suddenly find that he was in what was undoubtedly a serious relationship, _with a boy_, was enough to give him pause.

_'What would Mom think of his choice? Would Sarah understand? Would they hate him?'_

Running the faucet and splashing some cold water onto his face Noah took stock of the changes in his life.

Everything had been perfect, he'd been a straight, cougar hunting badass, Alpha Male, top of the food chain. He'd had the pick of the women, had a job that both had good earning potential considering how easy it was _and_ he made some cash on the side with his _extras_ service.

No. He was deluding himself again.

His life before had not been perfect. He'd been straight. He'd been a man-slut who slept with older women as a means of making himself feel like a man. He'd picked on and tormented those weaker than him to make himself feel better. He had a good paying job but the cash he made with his _extras_ he put into his sister's college fund as it disgusted him to spend it on himself.

Even subconsciously at the time he realised he had hated himself.

Honestly, it was a wonder he hadn't contracted Hepatitis.

_'Should probably get myself checked again though'_

Shutting off the faucet Noah grabbed a towel and dried his face. Looking at himself in the mirror he didn't look any different than he had a week prior. Sure, the scratches and bruises, and the big plaster on his forehead were new, but he still looked like the same Noah Puckerman.

He didn't feel like the same Noah Puckerman though.

Crossing the room he took a seat on the toilet and laid his head in his hands. The day before had been one of extreme nerves, of joy, of revulsion and of ecstasy. Tomorrow was Friday and that meant they'd have to go back to school. It also meant a high probability that there'd be some kind of confrontation with Santana.

He _seriously_ had no idea what was going on with the Latina. Sure they'd fucked around a bit, broken up and got back together more often than that dude in Terminator 2, but it had never been anything more than physical. At least to him.

Santana it seems had some kind of Lex Luthor master plan which involved him, a scholarship,

_'Like I'm going to get one of those any time soon, I don't even go to class'_

and apparently some kind of ball and chain, as that would be the only way to keep Noah with that psycho for any period of time.

There was a reason why they broke up so often, Santana was admittedly hot as Hell and dynamite in the sack. And she had a rack that he'd only seen bettered by Glorious Red that one time. But she was also high maintenance. I mean seriously, credit checking your boyfriend? Why not just rock up in a sandwich board that says you're a materialistic psycho slut?

The image gave him pause and he couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him. It didn't pass his notice either that there was a slight tinge of hysteria to his laugh.

_'I sucked off Kurt Hummel'_

"Oh Christ!..." he couldn't help the exclamation at the random thought. He'd been going on instinct for days now, following his heart while his head played catch-up. It appeared that tonight, in the bathroom, at the Hummel house, in his boxers, his brain had finally gotten into gear.

It wasn't that he regretted doing what he had with the soprano, he loved Kurt, he had no problem...

_'Wait... love? Fuck that... he liked being with Kurt... it was far too soon for that flowery love shit...'_

Groaning Noah pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes at how fucked up his life had become. Fucked up in a good way maybe, but fucked up nonetheless.

His head shot up as the bathroom door opened and a sleepy soprano poked his head round the door, eyes squinting in the light.

"Noah?"

_'God his voice is sexy when he's sleepy'_

Yep. Noah Puckerman was definitely gay for Kurt Hummel.

"Yeah Princess?"

Kurt face flushed at the endearment and Noah couldn't help but feel proud that a simple word could make the boy so happy.

"Is everything OK?" The boy had padded into the bathroom heedless of the fact he was completely, utterly and beautifully naked as the day he was born.

Noah's jaw dropped open in surprise as his eyes darkened and he drank in the sight of the stunning vision before him. He couldn't help the growl that rumbled in his chest and the feeling of triumph when the soprano's cock twitched slightly in response to the sound.

Kurt simply rolled his eyes at the lustful look on the larger boy's face and the obvious bulge developing in his underwear.

"Seriously Noah... my eyes are up here..."

Noah looked at the soprano expecting to find annoyance but was surprised when all he saw was amusement and a reflection of the lust he currently felt for the soprano in the other boy's eyes.

"Are you OK?... You don't _regret_ what happened do you?"

Noah recognised the sound of fear in the boy's voice, something he hated himself for being responsible for and felt the need to quash it immediately.

Opening his arms to the brunette, he was pleased to see that Kurt didn't hesitate and came to stand between his legs. Their relative positions made Kurt the taller boy and Noah was at the perfect height to raspberry Noah's stomach, which he did, eliciting a giggle from the brunette.

"No... I don't think I'm OK..." Kurt's face fell as his imagination ran away with him, "... but I think in time I will be."

Noah picked up Kurt's hands in each of his and simply examined them. They were much smaller than his own, perfectly manicured and the skin was so soft.

Turning them over in his hands, he placed a single kiss to the palm of each before nudging the smaller boy back a step as he stood.

Dropping one hand but keeping the other in his grip, Noah tugged the brunette back out of the bathroom, shutting the light off as they went.

He led them both back to the bed, where he lay on his back as Kurt got himself comfortable with his head pillowed on the larger boy's muscular chest. Kurt realised that Noah had not released his hand and clearly had no intentions of doing so.

As the pair were about to fall asleep once again Noah spoke into the silence,

"I think I'm falling for you Kurt Hummel."

A gentle snoring was the only response he received.

* * *

Early mornings in the Hummel household were exactly that. Early. _Fucking_. Mornings.

Noah had grumbled when the brunette's alarm had gone off, though he appreciated the change in ringtone from AC/DC, it was far too early in the morning for The Proclaimers, seriously what were they even doing on Kurt's alarm?

_'500 miles... 500 miles of what?... Agony?... At what?... Oh God it's only 5.30?'_

Kurt was up and out of his bed like a shot, clearly used to being conscious at this time of day. Noah however simply growled and while laying on his back tried to smother himself with a pillow.

"Oh... pshh Noah. You want me to look beautiful don't you?"

Noah thought the argument was unfair. Of course he wanted the brunette to look beautiful but seriously did it have to be at 5.30 in the morning and why was that music still playing?

He settled for flicking the brunette off and redoubling his efforts to smother himself.

The brunette however just giggled and mercifully switched the music off.

"Noah..." the boy's voice was teasing, "...Noah..."

Noah felt the weight on the bed shift as a smaller body straddled him over the covers. The sheet had ridden down over the course of the night and was pooled around his waist, leaving his chest free to attack.

And attack is the only word he could think of for what happened next.

Kurt had apparently turned into a giggling octopus, as eight arms seemed to launch simultaneous assaults on his extremely ticklish sides.

"Aaahahaha... Kurt please..."

He realised that he wasn't exactly being badass at that very moment but he didn't care, he was going to pass out if he didn't get a breath soon. Damn cardio.

"Say Uncle..." said the brunette as he continued his assault.

"...ahahahaaaaaaa...Uncle... Uncle... Oh God Uncle..." the pain in his sides was indescribable. It was worse than a sword to the stomach, worse than syphilis, worse than a paper-cut.

_'Paper-cuts are like, the worst pain in the universe, or that's what I thought before at least.'_

The torment stopped and as he tried to catch his breath the uncontrolled tears that had come to his eyes were quite handily soaked into the pillow which was still jammed somehow over his eyes.

Small nimble hands removed the pillow and Noah squinted expecting to be assaulted by a bright light. However he realised quickly that there was only a soft glow emanating from the vanity which was sufficient only to barely illuminate them enough to make out the vaguest of features.

Blue eyes stared into hazel and Little-Noah took notice of the suggestive position the boys were in with Kurt straddling Noah.

Noah watched as Kurt's eyes widened in realisation of the monster stirring beneath him. Noah suddenly chuckled at a completely random thought,

"Careful Ahab..." he warned playfully as Kurt started tracing the outline of the muscles on his chest with his fingertips, watching as goosebumps followed in his wake.

"Ahab?" he asked breathily, the charge in the air unmistakeable.

"Moby-Dick?..." said Noah and Kurt nodded in recognition, "Captain Ahab went after the beast one too many times and the beast got him. You're sitting on a beast and taunting him with your hot body... be careful the beast doesn't get you too."

Kurt stared at Noah with dawning recognition but before he could move, Noah had rolled the pair of them over trapping the smaller boy under him and pinning his arms to the mattress over his head.

Affecting his best pirate voice he growled,

"Aaaarrr! Now you be mine my pretty".

Noah giggled and tried to wiggle free but found he was trapped good and proper. In a whining voice he moaned,

"Noah... I have to exfoliate..."

All thoughts of exfoliation fled from the soprano's mind as Noah's mouth sealed itself over his in a bruising kiss. Noah smiled against the boy's lips as the smaller boy's mouth opened immediately allowing him to explore his boyfriend's mouth lazily.

Breaking the kiss and leaning his forehead against the smaller boy's for a moment, Noah tried to catch his breath as Kurt stared up at him.

"Noah?... Can I ask you something?"

Nodding Noah answered,

"Anything Princess..."

The blush that appeared on Noah's face gave him notice that whatever the brunette was going to ask was obviously embarrassing to him so he perked up and listened properly. There could be the chance for payback after all.

"Last night..." he paused and Noah rolled his eyes at the boy for even thinking he could have forgotten, "... you were so wonderful Noah."

Noah grinned pridefully at the boy earning himself an eye-roll from the little diva.

"Oh get over yourself Noah..." said Kurt but there was no heat in his tone, "... I meant... you were, well y'know..."

"Hard? Erect? Tumescent? Turned on? Horny? Ready to explode?"

Kurt's blush was hugely amusing but he nodded his head to each of the descriptive phrases,

"Uh yeah...but you didn't y'know..."

Realising that he had to tease the boy for his reticence, he had no choice in the matter, he looked confused and replied,

"Sorry I don't know..."

Kurt growled and pouted adorably before huffing in defeat,

"You're going to make me say it aren't you?... Oh alright, you didn't _cum_... there are you happy now?"

Noah just smirked at the boy and pressed a quick chaste kiss to his lips.

"Um... I guess what I wanted to know was, did you not... _want_ to with me?"

The look of apprehension the soprano's face caused the beast in Noah's chest to rattle in warning as he considered his answer,

"No... no of course I _wanted_ to... I just... last night was about you. I can take care of myself later or in the shower, no sweat."

Noah chuckled as the brunette's eyes unfocused as he was clearly picturing the scenario in his head.

"Hey... hey... earth to Princess... come in Princess..."

Kurt mock glared at the larger boy before his expression became serious again.

"Would... no never mind... it's stupid..."

Noah gently butted heads with the brunette before reminding the boy,

"Nothing you say could be considered stupid."

Bolstered by the support of his boyfriend Kurt rushed out his query in one mass of syllables,

"?"

Noah's brain froze, little-Noah however knew exactly what the soprano was offering and he was _very_ interested. Shaking himself from his inadvertent daydream Noah looked into the soprano's eyes,

"You don't have to if you don't want to. I mean that."

Kurt could see clearly that the boy did mean that but he wanted to do this, wanted to show his boyfriend that he cared enough about their relationship together to want to do this for him.

"I... I want to do it... but I've never before... I'll be no good..."

Kurt looked away from the larger boy as Noah couldn't help it, he laughed. The brunette's expression was one of hurt at the perceived callousness of the jock.

"Oh Kurt...what am I going to do with you?" said Noah, still chuckling, "...Exactly how many blowjobs do you think I'd given before last night?"

Kurt looked relieved at the supportive expression on the jock's face. Craning his head up as his hands were still being restrained, he was successful in lightly connecting with Noah's lips as they lazily stoked the fires between them for a moment.

"I want to try..."

Nodding Noah had one last condition before he'd let the brunette do what he wanted,

"OK... but I need to pee."

* * *

_'Pissing with an erection is a fucking impossible task' _thought Noah as he stood a good three feet from the toilet bowl hoping he'd gotten his aim right.

Feeling the stream coming, he sighed as the pressure was released and his aim proved to be true as the golden liquid shot out of his cock like a high pressure hose.

"Aaaaaaaahhhh"

Noah smirked as he heard the voice of Kurt from the other room,

"Ewww... gross"

Finally the stream trickled off as he staggered towards the bowl ensuring not to splash anywhere. Flushing the evidence of his early morning evacuation away Noah washed up his hands, before retrieving a flannel and giving little-Noah a sprucing up too.

Noah froze as he heard a voice from the bedroom,

"Noah... you'd better not be using my face flannel to clean your cock."

Looking between his cock and the now well used face cloth, Noah grimaced before replying in an airy tone,

"Of course not Princess... wouldn't dream of it."

A snort of disbelief was the only response from the brunette in the other room.

Rinsing the face cloth out under the tap and then realising he couldn't do that to the boy, Noah discarded the cloth in the hamper and hurried away from the scene of the crime.

As he went back to the bedroom Noah noted that the room was still barely lit though the sun was starting to come up and some light was now coming in through the windows that ran along the top of the wall.

Kurt was sitting up in the bed, his back propped against a couple of pillows and he looked worried. Again Noah felt the need to give the boy an out should he need it,

"If you don't want to I understand..."

The change in the boy was immediate as his eyes hardened and he straightened his posture in preparation for the challenge. Staring right at the boy he ordered,

"Lose the underwear Noah."

Noah's heart-rate increased markedly at the order and he found himself obeying it without thinking.

A half a second later little-Noah was flapping in the breeze and waving hello to Kurt whose jaw had dropped open at the sight.

"Uh... hello... Kurt?"

Kurt snapped his jaw closed with an audible click,

_'He'll probably need to see a dentist if he keeps doing that'_

"Come and lie down."

Noah took to the bed, crawling the length of it like a cat before laying himself out beside the soprano, throwing an arm behind his head as a pillow. Kurt shifted until he was lying out between the jock's legs with Noah's cock at eye level.

His cock by this time was well aware of what was going to happen and had decided it wanted to wave to the brunette in greeting.

Kurt just stared at the monster and hoped desperately that whatever he was about to do was going to be enough.

"How... uh..." he said clearing his throat and mouth which were strangely dry, "... how big is it?"

Noah smirked and his cock twitched in response to the sound of awe in the brunette's voice.

"A little over eight inches..."

He could see Kurt gulp in apprehension and then gather himself.

"Can I... can I touch it?"

Noah nodded in support to the boy who reached out with a single tentative finger and prodded his manhood as if testing to make sure it wasn't a mirage.

Withdrawing his finger almost as if he'd received a static shock, Kurt seemed to grow in confidence as his entire hand this time snaked out to wrap partially around the girth of Noah's cock.

"It's so thick..." the brunette marvelled as he realised he'd need to use two hands to jack it off properly and the jaw of a boa constrictor to swallow it.

Looking up to the jock he asked,

"So what do you want me to do?"

Noah felt the overwhelming urge to help the boy in any way he could,

"Just do what you want to do, I'll let you know if you do anything right or wrong."

Confidence returning, Kurt held the cock in his hand as he pointed it away from it's natural resting place against Noah's stomach and straightened it out like a flagpole.

Shifting his position slightly, Kurt snaked out his tongue and flicked the tip of the mushroom head, eliciting a groan of approval from the football player.

Considering the taste, Kurt decided it wasn't bad at all and he dove back in for another swipe with his tongue, eliciting another groan from the jock.

"Don't tease me Kurt..." said Noah though he was clearly enjoying the sensations the brunette was bringing out in him.

"Hush you, I'm experimenting..." chided Kurt before taking a third swipe of Noah's cock, this time from root to tip, finally coming to rest with his tongue resting on the purple head.

Before Noah could even think to process what had just happened, Kurt had taken the head of his cock into his mouth and, '_oh sweet mother of mercy_' his tongue was flicking the slit and driving him wild.

Kurt realised that the cock in his mouth was going to be too big for him to do much with orally, his jaw was already stretched pretty much as far as it could go with just the head in his mouth, however he busied his hands with the shaft, using a rhythmic stroke and twist method he'd read about in a Men's Health magazine.

The effect clearly was profound for the football player as he ran his hands through Kurt's hair and whimpered,

_'I made Noah Puckerman whimper!'_

Kurt cheered internally at the achievement.

"That's good Princess... that's _real _good..." Noah had had a lot of blowjobs in his time, but none had felt like this one. Kurt was clearly inexperienced but what he lacked in ability he made up for in spades with his enthusiasm.

"Try sucking Kurt, like on a lollipop... that's it... _oh_..."

All the air seemed to escape from Noah's lungs as it felt as though Kurt was trying to suck his internal organs out through his cock.

"Holy _fucking_ Hell..." he panted.

Kurt stopped his assault and removed the football player's cock from his mouth with a wet smack.

"I used to love sherbet candy sticks as a kid..." he said in explanation. Noah simply panted and cheered,

"Yay for sherbet candy sticks..."

Giggling slightly at the loss of control he'd been able to cause in the self-professed badass, Kurt returned to his previous activities.

Taking the head of Noah's cock back into his mouth he switched up his tempo and started to bob his head, trying to see how much of the boy's manhood he could easily manage.

"Oh my _fucking_ God Kurt... you're killing me here."

Noah's head was spinning, he could feel what little hair was growing on his head steadily being dragged southwards by the suction on his cock. It was incredible, so tight and warm and wet.

It had only been a few minutes but Noah could already feel the end approaching, and faster than it had for him in years.

Feeling he should warn Kurt, he panted

"Kurt... gonna blow in a minute..."

Without lifting himself off the boy's cock, Kurt simply released one hand from around the boy's shaft, wrapped it around the boy's balls and tugged as he increased his suction even more.

The sensation was immense, just like the response from the jock. With a startled grunt, Noah felt his cock twitch in the boy's mouth before his load came firing out as if shot from a cannon.

Kurt had caught the first rope of cum in his mouth, before extracting the head and jacking the boy off through the rest of the explosion.

"Oh... God... _fuck_..."

One, two... seven ropes of cum quickly spilled out over Kurt's hand and pooled on the larger boy's chest, stomach and thigh.

Noah's mind was mush. That was more than he could ever have imagined. He was brought out of his shock by the feeling of lips on his skin.

_'Oh holy crap... he's licking it up'_

And he really was, as the first rope of cum hit Kurt's tongue, he'd tasted it tentatively expecting that he'd want to spit it out. Imagine his surprise then when he found he actually liked it.

He watched entranced as rope after rope of the sticky fluid pumped from Noah's cock and landed in little puddles on his hard chest and stomach. He just had to have it.

Releasing little-Noah who was now worn out and steadily deflating, Kurt began by kissing Noah's inner thigh, using his tongue to collect up the spillage in that area, before he moved on to the boy's stomach, chest and finally to his neck.

_'Wow, he must have cum hard to get this far.'_

A sense of pride filled Kurt to know he'd been responsible for the response of the now semi-lucid and still panting football player.

Noah's hazel eyes met sparkling blue ones as he reached up an arm, grabbing the boy behind his head and pulling him down into a demanding kiss. He could taste himself on the smaller boy but didn't mind so much.

Ending the kiss and noting with some amusement that the boy was once again dazed,

"Thank you... Kurt... you were... it was... I don't have words..."

Kurt simply beamed at the boy before gasping, looking at the clock and hopping out of the bed,

"Oh my God, I'm 40 minutes behind on my skincare routine..."

Noah simply let his head thunk back onto the pillow and let out a groan.

* * *

**A/N: Hahaha! I loved writing this little scene, something about little Kurt being able to cause big strong Noah to fall apart at the seams really gets to me.**

**Oh and in answer to the reviewers question – yes Noah will be the top. Doesn't mean that he won't be the one taking the orders though, "Fuck me harder Noah" "Deeper Noah" "Smack me on the ass with that halibut Noah".**

**OK... maybe the last one is more of a specialist niche request but hey! Everyone loves fish right?**

**PLEASE REVIEW**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: Somebody pinch me...**

**Ow, thanks... XD... I checked up on this story this morning to see how many words I'd written and it's over 100,000! I had actually been worried about not being able to write more than the first two chapters at one point so I'm completely blown away. I'm not that far away either from being the writer of the largest Glee M-Rated fic on 'that website we call home but won't let me refer to it'.**

**Thank you all for your continued support. It's you who makes this story flow 100 times easier for me than it would otherwise. I'm toying with the idea of extending the story for a bit. I had planned to break the story into two and do a sequel if it appealed to me, frankly however I think I could probably just keep rolling on. What do you think? Do you want one book or two? Does it matter?**

**Chapter 27 – Feel The Burn**

* * *

Noah hadn't realised before how anal Kurt was. And not in the way you'd automatically assume. The boy was scary obsessive about routine.

Noah had lain in the bed and just watched the soprano as he went about fixing up his appearance for the day. He had never seen anyone use so many lotions and potions on such a small area of skin before.

"The object Noah is to have used lots of things to make me beautiful but for it to look like I didn't use any", Kurt had said as he applied his second exfoliation mask of the morning.

Noah couldn't argue with the brunette and his comment,

"You do what you need to to look beautiful Princess. I'll have a shower and be my usual badass self in 20 minutes."

The soprano couldn't help but roll his eyes and suggest pointedly that he consider using a moisturiser himself once in a while.

_'No way will that ever happen...'_

Slipping into the bathroom he'd showered, shaved and gotten dressed all in the 20 minutes he'd claimed he would, before he was back standing in the bedroom watching entranced as Kurt padded about in nothing but his birthday suit as he picked out his outfit for the day.

Kurt was currently puzzling over what sweater to wear. He had his pink 'sing' sweater or his brown v-neck in his hands as he held one up and then the other in front of him in the mirror. Noah couldn't help but offer his own opinion.

"Wear the pink one Princess. Brown really isn't your colour."

The brunette looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding emphatically and chucking the brown sweater over his shoulder.

"Y'know Noah... there may be hope for you yet... now if we could only get you out of those ratty clothes and into some D&G maybe, ooh or Armani?..."

Noah slipped his arms around the naked teen from behind, feeling the contours of the smaller boy's back as he moulded himself to him. The taller boy couldn't help but chuckle at the wiggle the soprano gave against his crotch,

"Tease... and there's no chance of you ever getting me in expensive clothes... out of expensive clothes is a possibility though..."

Kurt just giggled as he wriggled free of the boy's grasp, gathering up his chosen outfit before trotting off to the bathroom with an exaggerated swing to his hips. Noah just stared after the boy with a wry grin and a rapidly swelling appendage now making his jeans uncomfortable.

Noah sat heavily on the bench in front of the vanity and tried to think unsexy thoughts. He smiled at the sound of running water and the soprano's voice singing 'Wake Up Boo' as he was in the shower.

Considering the day they were about to experience, Noah decided that as much as he'd like to think his support alone was going to be enough he knew that it couldn't hurt to have a few reinforcements. Snatching up his cell from the dresser he sent out a global text to the members of Glee, minus 'Norma Bates' of course.

He was heartened to receive almost unanimous replies from the group confirming agreement of his plan, the only dissenter being Brittany who replied saying she wasn't going to be at school that day.

Just as he flicked his cell closed again, he heard the shower switch off and the sound of his boyfriend towelling off and getting dressed.

Standing from the bench, he grabbed his sneakers and got ready to head out to school.

* * *

Pulling the Navigator into his usual space that morning Kurt was surprised to see a large group of people milling about, apparently waiting for something.

Glancing to Noah he spotted a smug smile on his face and raised a quizzical eyebrow. The boy stayed silent however much to Kurt's annoyance.

Flipping open his compact and checking his hair in the mirror, he picked up his bag while Noah simply sat watching him. The intense stare was enough to cause the soprano to blush under the scrutiny.

"Noah..." he whined.

Noah just chuckled and grabbing his bag from under his seat hopped out of the passenger side door leaving the brunette in the car alone.

Grumbling about boyfriends with uncomfortable staring problems, Kurt unhooked his safety belt and was about to hop out of the car himself when he felt the driver's door opening of it's own volition.

Noah was standing there with a grin on his face as he leaned into the car to place a kiss on the brunette's lips. Then without breaking the kiss, he lifted the boy out of his seat and spun him around, the car door slamming shut in the process.

Noah broke the kiss and placed the now dizzy and dazed soprano on the ground. Kurt took the opportunity to glare at the boy, or at least what he thought was the boy seeing as there were now three of him.

His last thought caused the boy's blush to return as his mind decided it'd be worth his while to consider the possibilities involving one of him and three of Noah at that very moment.

"Noah...you'll have messed up my hair!" said Kurt as he frantically dug in his bag again for his compact.

The whining voice was only half serious as the brunette tried to fix his bangs while figuring out why almost all the members of Glee were standing waiting for them at the kerb.

Placing an arm around the soprano's shoulders Noah led them up to the group who were watching them with equal measures of surprise and smugness.

"I... I don't know why but I thought yesterday was some kind of weird hallucination..." muttered Finn as he watched the brunette snuggle into the side of the football player.

"Well I happen to think it's wonderful. Having two Fathers myself gives me a unique perspective on this kind of thing and I think it's just what this school needs. Though I do think..."

The group rolled their eyes as Rachel's filter failed to stop her from going on another of her rants. Talking over the top of her Quinn summed up the feelings of the group,

"We wanted to show you that you're not alone. You have us, _all_ of us here..."

"And Brittany" piped in Artie,

"... and we all approve." finished Quinn.

"Gimme a Hell yeah!" crowed Mercedes.

"Hell Yeah!" cheered the group.

Noah looked to the shocked expression on the face of the brunette and to the tears in his eyes at the unexpected gesture from their friends. He could tell that Kurt was on the verge of breaking down so decided to answer for him and hoped Kurt wouldn't mind.

"Kurt says thank you. He's blown away by your support. Isn't that right Princess?"

Kurt simply nodded in agreement, his throat having closed up making him unable to speak.

Mercedes, Quinn, Rachel and Tina however took the opportunity to surge forward to the soprano as Noah disengaged and the foursome swamped the boy in a tight embrace.

As the love-in between the group continued, Noah crossed over to Finn, Matt, Mike and Artie and stood with them.

"So... you and Kurt..." said Finn

"First prize for observation Finn..." joked Noah, as Matt and Mike chuckled.

"You know this isn't going to go well today right? I've already heard whispers that Santana's been running her mouth..."

Noah nodded as he agreed completely that the Latina was not going to go quietly into the night.

"Yeah... I know. Doesn't matter though. I'll handle Santana... hey... where's Britt?"

The expression on Artie's face was answer enough and he grimaced in response,

"She uh... she didn't feel like coming to school today... she was pretty broken up..."

Noah's attention was drawn from his melancholy thoughts by a giggling coming from the ten armed, ten legged amorphous hugging creature by the car, followed by a loud exclamation from Mercedes,

"Kurt Hummel you _dog_!..."

Noah knew immediately that the girls were talking about him as all eyes swivelled to appraise him. What made him uncomfortable however was they weren't looking at his face.

Coughing and turning red, Noah suggested,

"Yeah.. uh.. c'mon guys... time to go. Kurt you're dead just so you know..."

Just before he turned with the guys to head for the entrance the giggling increased and Tina shouted,

"Hey Noah, you have a little something..." making a wiping motion at the corner of her mouth.

She was left flabbergasted when he simply called over his shoulder without breaking stride,

"Can't have, I swallowed it all..."

* * *

Finn as it turned out was 100% correct in his assessment. Santana had been working overtime.

The day had been complete Hell for Noah. He didn't know how Kurt managed to let it all wash over him without drowning. Noah was used to the whispering and the giggling, but it was usually from girls who were attracted to his studly self. Now though the whispering seemed... almost hostile.

Noah had left Kurt that morning in the care of Quinn and Mercedes as he made a beeline straight to the gym to try to work off some aggression.

He was laying into one of the large punch bags suspended from the ceiling when he heard the doors swing open and shut. Ignoring the noise assuming it would be another jock, he continued to pummel the bag. He stilled however when a pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind and a warm body moulded to his back.

_'Mmmm... Kurt...'_

He closed his eyes, determined to enjoy the sensation as the hands around his waist moved lower and started to rub him through the fabric of his sweats.

He could feel his cock swelling at the stimulation and the nimble hands made quick work of the ties on the front of his sweats before diving straight in, wrapping around his cock and giving a sharp tug, building up a fast rhythm.

Noah couldn't help the moan that escaped him as he enjoyed the sensation, breathing deeply.

_'God he smells good... like coconut... wait doesn't Kurt use raspberry lotion?...'_

His stomach dropped as he jumped away from the embrace with a startled yell. His suspicions were confirmed when he found Santana standing in her Cheerios outfit with a sly grin on her face.

"Hi Puck."

"Jesus _fucking _Christ, Santana... what the _fuck_ do you think you're doing?"

Noah was seriously freaked out and the girl's manic expression did nothing to allay his concerns.

"I'd have thought that was obvious Puck... I'm getting my man back..."

Noah busied himself tucking his cock back into his shorts before tying his sweats up again.

"Are you mental?" he had to ask. The girl's face became momentarily furious, confirming to Noah that yes indeed, the girl _was_ mental.

The anger on Santana's face melted away however to be replaced with a sickening mockery of adoration,

"Don't be like that Noah, you know you were enjoying it so what's the problem?"

"The problem?" Noah asked, his voice becoming louder with his agitation, "... I'll tell you the _fucking_ problem. I have some psycho _bitch_ trying to molest me in the vain hope that I'll be dumb enough to _ever_ consider getting back together with her... that's my problem."

Santana clearly wasn't listening however as she simply replied,

"I always get what I want Puck. It'll be easier if you don't fight it."

The girl made to advance on Noah and he took a step back away from her in response. Her brow knitted and the anger returned momentarily as she snapped,

"If you're worried about whether I forgive you or not, I do. Just don't do it again and we'll be fine."

Noah couldn't believe what he was hearing, the girl was clearly insane. He had to get out of there before she started boiling bunnies or tried to make herself a suit out of other people's skin.

"Uh... oh look at the time, gotta run San.. nice talking to you."

And he was out of the room faster than he could have ever imagined, leaving the Latina standing there with her hands on her hips, calling after him,

"I always get what I want Puck. You'll see..."

* * *

Noah made straight for his locker and grabbed his shower bag before almost sprinting to the locker rooms, rushing past Finn with a hurried acknowledgement as the Quarterback was slipping his socks and sneakers back on.

Hurriedly stripping out of his work-out clothes he dove under the nearest shower head and let the hot water drown out his thoughts.

_'What the fuck was that?'_

He had no idea. One minute he was working out, the next he was receiving a handjob and Santana was trying to win him back? What the fuck? As if she even could at this point.

"FUCK!" he screamed venting his hurt, his anger and his fear all in one go.

"Puck? Everything OK?" came the voice from the doorway to the showers.

_'Fuck it's Finn...'_

"Hey Finn... yeah everything's fine dude, just stubbed my toe."

Thankfully the naïve Quarterback accepted Noah's cover story as gospel and replied,

"Alright man, but be more careful huh? You scared the shit out of me."

"I will man... sorry..."

He listened for the sound of the door to the locker room closing behind the Quarterback before he gripped his head in his hands and tried to work out what was going on.

_'Nobody can know... that much I know for sure...'_

"Crazy psycho _bitch_... aarrghh..." he growled. Switching off the water Noah simply stood there and let the water run off him for a moment. Sighing he picked up his towel, ran it over his head and shoulders and wrapped the material around his waist.

Retreating to his locker, he got dried and re-dressed and headed to the lunch room to grab something to eat and head to Glee.

* * *

Noah was feeling stifled. Though they meant well, both Tina and Mercedes were hovering over him and he _really_ did not like it. They had sat as bodyguards either side of him now for three class periods in a row and he was starting to get seriously claustrophobic.

He snapped midway through English when Mercedes glared at one of the jocks who had decided to mumble a crude innuendo involving Noah's fist and Kurt's anus.

"...'cedes, will you please just _stop_?" he had hissed.

He regretted it almost immediately as the girl actually looked angry with him. Softening his tone he tried to explain,

"It's not that I don't appreciate it, but no amount of glaring is going to stop _this_... there's just too much, even for you."

The girl looked downbeat at the admission and apologised to the boy meekly.

"Sorry Kurt... it just gets me angry that there are so many ignorant ass-clowns in this school". The final part of her comment she directed to the room in general earning her a glare from Mr Kowalski who thankfully hadn't heard her choice of phrase only the increased volume.

Trying to change the subject Kurt asked,

"So how are things with you and Matt?"

The girl's blush was indication enough as she stammered through a reply,

"We... he... he asked me out..."

Kurt's eyebrows raised so far so fast that they almost fell off the back of his head. He took in the expression on his friends face and noted that despite the blush she looked... uncertain.

"That's great 'cedes... that is great isn't it? Did I miss a memo?"

The girl snorted and answered,

"No, it is great... after all that happened with _your _boy before, I had sort of given up on guys. Matt is quiet and shy and dependable y'know, and he likes me as I am. I like being myself when I'm with him."

She realised she was rambling and ducked her head in embarrassment. Allowing her some slack Kurt decided instead that he'd torture the Asian girl on his right. Just for balance he asked Tina,

"So you and Artie... what's going on? Who's slept with who? C'mon what's the skinny?"

The girl just laughed before poking him in the ribs,

"You're the skinny _Princess_..." turning the tables on him as he felt his blush.

"Don't change the subject... c'mon spill... had yourself an Art attack?"

The girl just rolled her eyes at the boy's terrible play on words as Mercedes sniggered.

"We're... we're doing good. He still has issues about y'know... the chair and all but for the most part it's good."

Mercedes decided Kurt needed to be grilled more and so she asked him,

"So... you and Noah in a bed, naked... how in the nine circles of Hell did that happen?"

Kurt just rolled his eyes at his friend's complete lack of finesse when it came to asking veiled questions.

"It just... he was so thoughtful 'cedes. I didn't want to be alone and he made it all about me and I felt so special."

"And what about this morning... what made you want to shake glands with Puckzilla?"

Kurt couldn't help but giggle at the girl and blush at the memory,

"First off... what you said before about..." he gestured with his hands and both girls had he good grace to blush, "...totally true. He was such a gentleman before, he never even made a move to ask me to do anything."

Mercedes and Tina nodded, seeing the boy's face light up in passion as he talked,

"I _wanted _it. I _wanted_ him... I _really_ _want_ him... God even now... I'm such a slut..."

Kurt gave up on his description and laid his head on the desk with a thunk. He could feel his cock getting hard in his pants and he was desperately trying to control himself in case the girls spotted his arousal.

"Was it worth it?" asked Tina truly curious.

Without raising his head off the desk, Kurt mumbled,

"Completely. Even when I had offered he still told me not to do it unless I really wanted to. He said he was happy to take care of it himself. And he meant it, I could see it in his eyes."

"Sounds to me like _someone's falling in_ _love_" singsonged Tina while Mercedes giggled and Kurt just groaned.

Their conversation was interrupted by the bell signalling lunch and the trio packed up their bags to head to the lunch room.

* * *

As the group all met up in the lunch room at their usual table, they did their best to ignore the sly glances and the whispering. That was until Noah finally ran out of patience.

"Oh for _fuck's_ sake people..." his chair scraping back as he stood, "... yes I'm dating Kurt Hummel... yes Santana _is_ a psycho..." the girl glared at him from across the room. "... and yes I'm still a badass..."

Sitting back down at the table, leaving the entire lunch room in silence, Noah linked hands with Kurt and placed a kiss on his cheek. Eventually the room began to come out of their shock and the noise picked up again.

"Noah... why did you have to go and do that?"

Kurt sounded pissed. Quinn and Mercedes shared a smirk realising that the big badass was about to be on the receiving end of some smackdown from the soprano.

"Uh... cos it pissed me off?"

Noah sounded so unsure of himself the rest of the group couldn't help chuckling at his obvious reticence to make the brunette angry with him.

"We need to have a talk sweetie about something called tact... clearly you've never heard of it before..."

Bowing his head meekly he replied,

"Sorry Kurt..."

Breathing a sigh of relief and realising that smackdown had been averted Noah shifted his gaze to the other occupants at the table glaring ineffectually at them as they all grinned back at him.

Coughing into his hand, Mike couldn't help but add,

"...whipped..."

The whole group, including Kurt couldn't help but laugh at the football player's expression.

* * *

Glee club that afternoon was a riot. Mr Schue had decided to take a break from the assignments and to spend the period freestyling with any performance the group wanted to do.

Matt, Mike and Tina had put something forward that the group thought they might like and their performance of a mashup of 'Smooth Criminal' and 'Get The Party Started' brought the house down with Mike especially lighting up the dancefloor with his MJ dance moves.

It was therefore a cheerful group that made their way out to the parking lot, chatting and joking, Kurt arm in arm with Quinn and Noah arm in arm with Mercedes of all people. All joking stopped however when the group took in the devastation before them.

Kurt stood immobile as he took in the scene. His baby was on fire. _All_ of the windows had been smashed, even the sunroof had been taken care of. Pink spray paint marred the perfect paintwork with the words

"_Homo Explosion"_

stencilled the length of the bodywork and there was a large crudely drawn pink phallus drawn on the hood. But worst of all were the flames consuming the inside of the car. Kurt couldn't help it, he broke down in anguished sobs.

Noah was so angry but the moment that Kurt started to cry his anger morphed into concern for the brunette. He was by the smaller boy's side immediately, having disengaged from Mercedes fast enough to leave friction burns, as he swept the soprano into his arms and turned him away from the shell of the Navigator.

Quinn was the first to snap out of her shock as she pulled out her cell and called the Fire Department. Giving them a situation report they advised that a truck was on it's way.

Noah was whispering to Kurt whose sobs had lessened somewhat as he clung to the larger boy's shirt.

"_Fucking shit_!" screamed Finn completely shocking the assembled group and breaking Kurt from his tears in surprise. The Quarterback had never been one to use coarse language and was as mild mannered as they came.

Kurt could see however the tears in the Quarterback's eyes and the look of impotent rage on his behalf. It made him feel warm inside to know that Finn had his back and truly did care.

The group looked on as the car continued to burn before Noah made a decision to get the near catatonic brunette home.

"Q, you have your car with you right?"

Quinn's attention snapped to him from where she'd been watching the flames lick at the remains of the upholstery as she nodded to him shakily as she made her way towards him.

Whispering in Kurt's ear he explained to the boy that he'd take care of the car and that Quinn was going to take him home. The boy didn't even respond and simply shuffled off in the direction of the yellow MX-5 on the other side of the lot.

Turning to Mercedes he looked at the girl before saying two words,

"Call Burt."

She nodded and pulled out her cell to make the call.

_'Ah shit... this isn't going to be good...'_

"Hell of a way to introduce yourself to your boyfriend's Dad. Hi Mr Hummel, I'm Noah... oh and that is the burning remains of your son's car... it's nice to meet you."

Artie who had been beside Noah the entire time, snorted at the jock's dry humour before catching himself for the inappropriate slip.

Mercedes passed the cell to Noah and he spoke,

"Hi Mr Hummel. My name is Noah Puckerman..."

* * *

By the time the Fire Department had been and put out the blaze, there was literally nothing left of the Navigator other than the framework.

Burt had pulled up in his flatbed pick-up just as the Fire truck was leaving and as he crossed the parking lot to the group of teens his eyes were dark with a cold rage.

"Noah, what happened?" he asked acknowledging the boy who had called him minutes earlier.

Noah could feel the fury pouring from the man and could feel his throat closing up.

Furious eyes turned to face the jock in impatience, causing the boy to wilt under the gaze.

"_What_... happened to my son's car?"

Noah could tell Burt was just seconds away from an explosion of immense proportions and so he tried to get the story out as quickly as possible.

"Um... it's hard to explain sir..."

"Try."

Burt's voice was like a whip crack and Noah realised he'd have to just be honest with the man. Trying to leave anything out at this point would only cause more problems down the line.

"OK... Uh... Kurt and I... I mean... your son... _ah Hell_... I'm dating your son sir..."

The silence from the rest of the assembled group was total as they waited for either Noah or Burt to say something.

Burt was thankfully a man of few words and simply nodded at the jock to continue,

"Uh... we knew there was going to be some _friction_ when it became public... I'm a jock and on the football team..."

Burt nodded again understanding what the nervous boy was saying to him.

"We... I... nobody expected this would be the result sir..."

The entire group all nodded in affirmation of the final statement as Burt tugged off his cap and ran his hand through his thinning hair.

"Where's Kurt?" he asked.

"I... uh... I sent him home with a friend sir... he was upset..."

The gratitude in Burt's eyes was plain to see as he cleared his throat and replied,

"Good call then... and thank you. I'll take it from here."

There were no further words required at that point as Burt busied himself hooking the Navigator up to the crane on the truck before hoisting the wreck onto the flatbed.

The group of teens each murmured farewells and drifted away leaving Burt to his task under the glow of a single street light.

* * *

Noah drove home, though part of him desperately wanted to drive straight over to the Hummel house to check on Kurt. He managed to restrain himself however when he received a text from Q to say she'd dropped Kurt off at home and he'd gone and fallen asleep on the couch.

A further text arrived a short while later just as he was pulling into the drive to let him know that Burt had returned and that Q was on her way home.

_'I'm going to need to do something nice for Q'_

Parking up his truck, Noah trudged up to the door and slipped into the dark kitchen. From the hallway he could see a single red light on the answerphone flashing.

Toeing off his sneakers and sighing he hit the play button as the machine beeped.

"_Noah. It's Mom. We have to talk. I've just had a call from a friend of yours and frankly what she's told me concerns me Noah. I'm taking an early flight from Utah back to Lima in the morning to straighten this out. Make sure you're in the house when I get back.'_

Noah stood in shock, the use of the word 'straighten' hadn't passed his notice. The _bitch_ had called his Mom to tell her about Kurt. He'd _fucking_ kill her.

* * *

**A/N: Yay – another chapter written. The inspiration for the mashup song I found on a popular search-engine owned video sharing website by searching Michael Jackson vs Pink. I was looking for something special and I absolutely adored this mix.**

**So what will be the fallout when Mrs P gets back in town? Will Kurt get himself a new baby? Will Mercedes and Matt bump uglies? Will Santana find herself buried alive in a glass coffin? Find out next time on Whatever You Want...**


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: Well here we go folks. Showtime. Thank you all for your kind reviews, I'm glad you're enjoying the story. After careful consideration I'm abandoning plans for a sequel. I'm just going to keep the current story going and mash the two plots together into one big ball of slashy angst.  
**

**Chapter 28 - Puckerman vs Puckerman  
**

* * *

Kurt spent the majority of the night after getting home crying softly into his pillow. He was used of course to the name calling, the dumpster dives and the slushie facials. He could _deal_ with those. But for someone... for someone to _hate_ him that much that they would set fire to his baby, he struggled to comprehend.

When Quinn had brought him home and he'd fallen asleep on the couch he'd had bad dreams. Horrible dreams of being in the car as he burned alive and he'd woken with a scream just as his Dad had returned from, he assumed, collecting the wreck of his baby.

The man had simply knelt down in front of the shivering teen, who was sitting up on the couch wrapped in a blanket and before Kurt had even realised what had happened he was in his Dad's strong arms and he was sobbing hysterically.

"Why Dad?... I... I don't understand..."

Burt's face was anguished at the pain in his son's voice but he had no explanation to offer.

"I... I'm a good per-rson Dad. I go to school, I don't break the law, I love my Dad and I just happen to live boys rather than girls... why does that make me so repulsive to people?"

Burt just held the boy to his chest as he rubbed circles on Kurt's back helping the brunette to ride out the waves of agony coursing through him. Burt was a strong man, a proud man and he loved his son fiercely and it killed him inside to understand that he was powerless to stop others from hating his son for no other reason than he didn't conform to their expectations.

Eventually the brunette had cried himself out and had fallen asleep in Burt's arms.

Burt examined his son's face as a lone tear rolled down his cheek at seeing his anguished expression even in sleep. Hoisting the too small body into his arms, he carried him to his basement and tucked him into bed, placing a kiss on the boy's forehead.

Task completed he headed up to the kitchen and to the refrigerator. Opening the door he stood in the glow of the little bulb and his brow knitted together in momentary confusion. He could have sworn he'd had more beer in the house than what was in front of him.

_'Have'ta go to the store tomorrow then...'_

Picking up one of his few remaining bottles, he popped the cap before downing the contents in one go. Snatching up a second without pause, he shuffled aimlessly through to the unlit den and collapsed on the couch in front of the darkened TV.

The beer didn't help to numb the pain he felt and Burt sobbed brokenly for his son and for the sorrow he was powerless to prevent.

* * *

Noah couldn't sleep. His Mom knew. Or suspected. Or had been told flat out. He didn't know. It didn't matter really. He'd wanted to avoid this for a while longer. A good while longer if truth be told.

Q had come home a few hours earlier and he'd pretended to be watching a movie while his eyes had actually been staring unseeing at the action on the screen.

If he had been in any way lucid he would have realised he was watching Pee Wee Herman and would have seen Q's concerned look at his choice of movie and at the complete lack of inflection in his voice. The girl realised something was wrong with her friend but chalked it up to his anger at the events of the evening.

Noah had heard the girl say her goodnights and he sort of recalled perhaps, mumbling a reply, he didn't know.

He had no idea what he was going to do when his Mom returned. It was no quirk of fate that found his Uncle Raymond and his Mom's family living in Utah. They were fanatically devout Jews, their ranch was pretty much one giant dusty Synagogue.

Noah had never been to his Uncle's ranch but he'd heard stories over the years from his Mom about how his Uncle Raymond was a pillar of the community and how he was a fine upstanding man that Noah should learn to aspire to. For years now his Uncle Raymond had been the boogie man his Mom had used to keep him in line.

From the moment he'd begun admitting his feelings for Kurt he'd known that one day there would be a reckoning between his Mom's religious beliefs and his own life choices. While his Mom was in no way devout, her only son dating another guy? There was a greater chance of Rachel ditching those granny sweaters than there was of his Mom being in any way cool with his dating Kurt.

Sighing and letting his head sink back to thump against the wall, Noah considered with rising dread what the morning would bring.

_'I'm going to kill Santana...'_

* * *

Kurt didn't wake at his usual time the following morning. He'd slept right up until his Dad had woken him mid-morning with the sound of the food mixer in the kitchen.

_'Thank God it's Saturday'_

He'd checked his cell and tapped out a response to Mercedes to try to allay her fears that he'd somehow died in the night.

_'Seriously, I don't reply to one text and the girl goes off the deep end.'_

He did love her to bits though.

He was slightly disappointed to realise that Noah hadn't called or sent him a message to see if he was alright.

_'He must be busy...'_ he rationalised.

But the tinge of sadness remained.

Realising his last memory from the night before was sobbing into his Dad's chest on the couch, that he was now back in his bedroom and that his Dad must have carried him there, Kurt felt a burst of love for the strong silent man who'd supported him his every step without fail.

_'Have to do something nice for Dad... maybe hit the...'_

"Oh..."

The realisation hit him that he no longer had a car. No baby. No means of getting to Mecca without having to schlep there on public transport or hitch a ride with his Dad or 'cedes.

His burgeoning good mood sank without trace as a melancholy overtook him.

His car was more than a car to him. It was a gift from his Dad first and foremost. Secondly it was a lifeline to him.

"It was _beautiful_ dammit!"

His exclamation was unexpected and the sound of his own voice caused him to jump in surprise.

"Great... now I'm going crazy too... maybe I'll marry Santana and we can have lots of little psycho babies..."

Kurt shuddered at the thought of hetero sex. The whole process was so _unnatural_... not to mention messy...and the boobs... who really needs boobs? Give him well defined pectorals any day!

"Ew... ew... ew... bad images, bad images..." he yelped while trying to claw out his own eyes as his mind betrayed him and he imagined the Hell that is sex with Santana.

"Kurt? Everything OK?"

_'Huh? When did Dad get here?'_

Kurt looked to the basement stairs in surprise to see his Dad standing there with a tray in his hands and a look of concern on his face.

"I... I'm fine Dad..." Kurt tried to project a genuine smile but from the look on his Dad's face he'd probably grimaced at him instead.

"I... uh... I made breakfast... pancakes... to cheer you up..." said Burt unable to meet his son's eyes. The man looked supremely uncomfortable.

"...like Mom used to..." the significance of the act wasn't lost on the brunette who's eyes misted up...

"Uh... yeah... did it work?"

Kurt cracked his first genuine smile since the day before as he settled himself under the covers and motioned for his Dad to bring over the tray.

The pair sat shoulder to shoulder on the bed as they tucked into the pancakes with relish, both smiling at the other as they enjoyed the sticky indulgence.

"This is going to go straight to my hips..." moaned Kurt in feigned distress.

"And I'll bet this Noah boy... he likes your hips the way they are?"

Kurt simply raised an eyebrow at his Dad, the same expression that always made the older man supremely self-conscious

_'Subtle Dad'_

Kurt sighed before answering,

"He told you then?"

Burt nodded as he speared a section of pancake and dragged it through some syrup. Popping the treat in his mouth he simply waited for his son who was clearly collecting his thoughts.

"It's new Dad... like three _days_ new... but I really like him."

Burt considered the smile that lit up his boy's face at the mention of the jock and the blush at the admission of the depth of his feelings, even after only three days.

"Noah Puckerman... any relation to the Puck who used to pick on you?"

Burt realised he'd hit the nail right on the head when the colour drained from his son's face.

"So he's the same Puck then?" he asked a definite hard edge entering his tone.

"Yes... I mean no... I mean yes... oh Liza help me... he's _different_ now..."

Kurt tried to organise his thoughts but he could tell he wasn't doing a very good job of articulating himself.

"The boy I saw last night certainly seemed to care about you..." admitted Burt as his son's blush returned full force, "...I just don't want to see you get hurt Kurt."

Kurt felt his throat closing as his eyes teared up at his Dad's obvious loving concern.

"I won't Dad. I promise."

Nodding and hoping to move the conversation to more lighter subjects Burt asked,

"So... you're being safe right?"

"Daaad..."

The whine in Kurt's voice was evident as the boy blushed brighter than before.

"I'm serious Kurt... if you're going to be... y'know... I want you to be safe doing it... I'm not pretending to be an expert on the mechanics but if you need anything... condoms... lube..."

Kurt's brain had stopped working, jumped out an emergency hatch in the back of his head and made a break for the border. His Dad, his straight, manly, John Mellencamp listening Dad was offering to buy him lube so he could have sex with Noah.

"Dad. Please. Stop..." he pleaded as he could feel his whole world reality shifting. He didn't think his face could get any hotter at this point.

Looking to his Dad he could see the older man was red in the face himself and that he was biting his tongue trying to contain his snickering.

"Daaad... that was evil!" complained Kurt as Burt finally gave into the hearty belly laugh that had been threatening to erupt for the last minute or so.

* * *

Noah had been scrubbing the same pan for twenty minutes. That was exactly how long Quinn's patience lasted with the boy before she snapped.

"For God's sake Noah, just spit it out!"

The boy jumped as if forgetting that the blonde was even there and the pan he'd used more than a half bottle of washing up liquid on fell to the floor with a resonant clang.

The boy stood facing the sink and from his posture Quinn could see he was tense. More tense than she thought she'd ever seen him.

"Noah..." she tried the gentle approach this time to see if that would get any better response.

"My Mom's coming home."

Quinn rolled her eyes though the boy couldn't see them as she replied sarcastically,

"Yes I know... in three weeks."

"No. Not in three weeks. In about three hours."

Noah was clearly incensed and he was biting off each word as if it hurt him.

Quinn's stomach dropped as she realised the implications.

"What did she do?" she whispered to herself as the boy clearly heard her and gave a bark of harsh laughter.

"What did she do?... She called my Mom in Utah and told her I was a _fag_ is what she did!"

Quinn couldn't help the horror struck expression on her face. This was bad. This was off the charts bad.

When she'd been asked to leave the Hudson house, she'd come to live with the Puckerman's at Noah's vehement insistence. Though they had always been civil to each other, Quinn and Lilith Puckerman had never bonded.

The woman clearly disapproved of the whole baby situation, even right down to the choice to put the baby up for adoption. She had spent the first few weeks dropping hints about how she and Noah should work things out. How if they just thought of the baby and the need for it to know it's parents, that they'd make the 'right' decision.

It had become fairly self-evident that the 'right' decision as far as 'Lilith' was concerned was that the pair should get married straight out of High School and raise their child together.

Quinn could see Noah's knuckles were white where he had a firm grip of the edge of the counter and she could actually hear the formica creaking in protest at the treatment.

"What... what are you going to do?" she asked, partially afraid of the answer.

Noah seemed to crumple in on himself though he remained standing rigid by the sink.

"I... I don't know. You know Mom... she's going to rant and rave and threaten and... I don't want to give up Kurt."

As the last syllable left his mouth Quinn heard a bubbling sob escape the football player which he quashed viciously.

Rinsing his hands under the faucet, Noah retrieved the pot, which would need washed again now, and dried his hands on a towel.

Turning to look at the blonde girl he could see her eyes alight with compassion and had to offer her an escape,

"You don't have to be here. It's not going to be pretty."

Quinn looked truly offended at the suggestion,

"If you think I'm going anywhere you're an idiot Mr..."

Chuckling he sat himself down in the chair opposite Q and placed his head in his hands.

"What time does your Mom's flight get in?"

"Any minute now."

The pair sat and waited for the fireworks to begin.

* * *

After having spent time with his Dad eating breakfast the good mood the pancakes had temporarily engendered had worn off.

_'Noah still hasn't called'_

The troublesome Finn voice in his head wouldn't leave him alone. He'd checked his cell at least once every five minutes in the past hour, annoying himself so much in the process that he'd thrown the gadget into a drawer on his vanity and locked it.

He was now pacing his room trying to work out what he was going to do. He was essentially housebound without his car. Sure he could travel by bus but seriously, his clothing on polyester seats on a bus? He'd rather just stay home.

Deciding he needed to get out he slipped on his shoes and headed up to the main level. His Dad was in the kitchen clearing up what appeared to be the aftermath of 'food Hiroshima'. Though Kurt appreciated the pancakes, he'd be finding flour attached to surfaces for weeks after this episode, no matter how much his Dad cleaned right now.

His Dad was currently on his hands and knees with a bucket of water and a scrubbing brush trying desperately to get what looked like dried egg out from the grouting between the floor tiles.

"Hey Dad..."

"Hey Kurt..." said Burt redoubling his efforts to remove the tricky goop.

"I'm... well I'm bored frankly so I'm going to go for a walk. I'll be back in a few hours."

Nodding as he cheered momentarily as the goop came free, he replied just as he heard the door close behind him,

"Take your cell..."

* * *

Noah was a wreck. He was so agitated he couldn't sit still. He was shaking and he felt the need to strike out at something. And considering what was about to go down getting striking out at something was not going to be in any way helpful.

Quinn was at the window making a fresh pot of tea as the cab pulled up to the kerb and Lilith emerged, dressed in comfortable travelling clothes and carrying a single hold-all. The woman looked understandably tired having just travelled 1700 miles from Salt Lake City to Lima.

"She's only got a small bag with her Noah. She can't be planning to stay long."

Noah who had been pacing the length of the kitchen table nodded in acknowledgement of the slight ray of light before emptying his mug of tea down the sink. Placing the mug down he made his way to the front door. Time to meet the inevitable head on.

He flicked the catch on the door just as he heard his Mom's footfalls on the porch steps. Opening the door to her he saw the weariness in her eyes and also a calculating gaze which made him uncomfortable.

"Hi Mom. Welcome home..." he tried to sound cheerful and pleased to see her but he wasn't sure if he carried it off or not.

"Hello Noah." she said as she brushed past him and into the living room, laying her bag down on the couch. Noah followed behind her silently.

_'OK then... straight down to business'_

The frosty tone of his Mom's voice was the first real confirmation that Santana had indeed given his Mom the full details of his relationship with the soprano. Still Noah wasn't going to be intimidated and plowed on regardless.

"How was your flight?"

"Oh it was fine... unexpected and inconvenient... but fine."

The chit-chat continued for several minutes with Noah asking after Sarah and Uncle Raymond and confirming he'd been feeding the cat and had been going to school.

Just as the atmosphere was becoming tense, Q waddled in, cup of tea in her hands and settled herself in the love-seat in the corner.

"Hey Mrs P..." she greeted. She was a much better actor than Noah that was for sure. She actually sounded pleased to see the matriarch.

"Hello Quinn... you're looking well."

And so the cycle of mindless pleasantries began once again and Noah could feel the sweat on the palms of his hands. Eventually though, Lilith got to the point.

"Quinn honey. I don't mean to sound rude but would you mind giving Noah and I some privacy?"

Quinn's expression certainly didn't give anything away as she replied in an even manner.

"I think I'd better stay if it's all the same to you."

_'Need to get Quinn something nice... a boat maybe... or a huge diamond necklace... the girl is an absolute star.'_

Lilith looked rather put out before she hid the expression behind one of civility.

"Alright fine then. I'll start then shall I?"

Noah didn't reply, he simply tilted his head in acknowledgement.

"I was in the middle of baking cookies with Sarah when your friend, Santana was it, called..."

Lilith was oblivious to the glance shared between the blonde and the jock over the use of the term 'friend' when it came to their friendly neighbourhood psycho.

"I didn't want to believe what she was telling me but she was very convincing."

Lilith looked to Noah now expecting to see capitulation in his eyes. She was to be sorely disappointed.

"And _what_ exactly did Santana..." he spat the name out like poison, "... tell you?"

This was the defining moment of the conversation, life from here on in could go either one of two ways.

"She expressed concern that you'd... begun to associate with the _wrong_ kind of people."

Noah could feel his hackles rising at the implied message and his patience was about to snap. He was saved from the inevitable explosion by Q running interference while he desperately tried to clamp down on his emotions.

"I'm sorry Lilith, I'm sure I don't understand. I spend most days with Noah and I've not seen him associating with anyone other than the football team and the kids in Glee."

Lilith simply smiled sweetly at the girl before dismissing her entirely.

"Yes well... that Glee club is part of the problem I think. I mean openly encouraging boys to sing girls songs? And to dance suggestively too? No I think I'll have to be speaking with nice Mr Figgins about my concerns in that regard."

Quinn bristled at the woman but it was so subtle that Noah only picked up on it through years of having had the girl bristle at comments he'd made to her. The flint in her eyes however was unmistakeable as she replied,

"Kurt was entitled to sing 'Defying Gravity' if he so chose and his Father was well within his rights to insist that he school give him that opportunity."

Years of living with his Mom had given Noah an insight into what he called the 'Lilith Scale'. Normally his Mom operated at around a one or a two in response to the stress of day to day life, making her slightly irritable. A good argument would get her up to a five or a six. Noah could quickly see that this conversation was going to escalate higher than it ever had before. He wasn't even sure if the scale went high enough.

"Be that as it may I simply don't feel it was appropriate. And I shall be taking steps to ensure that my feelings on the matter are recognised."

Quinn simply simpered at the woman but Noah could clearly see the urge to launch herself out of her chair and to claw the other woman's eyes out. Before the girl could seriously consider the mechanics of levering her heavily pregnant body out of the chair however Lilith continued,

"Seeing as you've so handily brought him up Quinn, I'll move on to my next point. This Kurt boy you've become friendly with. I don't like it. You are to stop _associating_ with him and I'll hear no argument over it."

Noah however wasn't in the mood to simply bend over and take it.

_'That was Kurt's job... or it would be...'_

"Excuse me?" he asked, his tone incredulous.

"I'm sorry – was I in any way unclear?" his Mother looked at him with a cold fury that her son was questioning her decision making.

"No. You were perfectly clear. I was just wondering when I handed over my balls to you in a jar is all."

Quinn attempted to interject herself before Noah could lose it completely however a glare from the football player had her simply sitting back and observing. Noah was going to take care of this his way.

"Noah, I am your Mother..."

"Yes you are but that gives you _no_ right to tell me who I can or cannot _associate_ with..." he said stressing the word in the same manner she had just moments earlier.

"You are still a child Noah and I will treat you as such if I your poor decision making means I have to. You are not to associate with that Hummel boy anymore and that is final."

Lilith's voice rose as she slammed her hand down on the coffee table in emphasis at the end of her statement.

Noah had had enough, he wanted this conversation over with and now, so he went for the sucker-punch.

"What is it that has you so afraid Ma? Is it that your darling baby boy might not be all that interested in a 'nice Jewish girl' as you'd hoped?"

There. He'd admitted it. Now it was up to his Mom to decide how she wanted to respond.

"Your friend was right to call me Noah. I will not allow you to ruin your life anymore than you already have. First you get one girl pregnant out of wedlock, which was shameful enough for the family, and now you're... you're..."

"Gay, Ma... the word you're after is Gay! G-A-Y... it's real easy to spell!"

A part of Noah smirked internally realising that his ability with sarcasm was edging towards the more bitchy end of the spectrum. He also knew he wasn't strictly Gay but spelling Bisexual would have taken away from his snappy response.

_'Damn Hummel's influence...'_

Lilith was shaking her head in denial, unwilling to believe what her son had just declared.

"Uh... excuse me?" butted in Quinn.

Mother and son both snapped at the blonde simultaneously,

"Stay out of this Quinn!"

Both combatants sat glaring at each other their nostrils flaring, neither willing to concede an inch on the battlefield. The small worried voice in the corner however dropped another of her bombs.

"I think my waters just broke."

* * *

**A/N: Ahahahaha! Isn't that just evil of me... cliffhanger... LOL. **

**There will be more fallout that's to be sure. Plenty more conflict to come. **

**PLEASE REVIEW**


	29. Chapter 29

******Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: Thump... What was that I hear you cry? Why that was the sound of Hibernating Teen falling off the edge of the her seat. Thank you all for your reviews on the last chapter. I even found myself getting worked up on Noah's behalf during the writing of this instalment and had to stop and take a breath on more than one occasion. A word of warning - the sky is falling Chicken Little. You're going to hate me by the end of this chapter, I just know it.**

**Oh and one reviewer thanked me for the story being so LONG. Well... size does matter ;-p**

**Chapter 29 – Puckerman vs Puckerman Redux**

* * *

The doors to the emergency room crashed open with a bang as the orderly propelled a panting and wheezing Quinn through towards maternity on a wheelchair. Quinn had asked Noah to call Kurt, Mercedes and Tina as she wanted them to be there and so he'd spent the entire journey in the back of the ambulance dialling his cell with one hand while Q tried to turn the bones of the other into powder.

_'Where was Kurt? Why wasn't he answering?'_

His friend's intervention had been timely though she hadn't planned it and though his Mom clearly wanted to continue their 'debate' she had decided that supporting the woman who would technically give birth to her first grandchild took priority. Noah thanked God for small mercies.

Speaking of mercy, Noah had been able to get Aretha and Tina on the line and on their way to the hospital without problem. Aretha had even promised to swing by Kurt's on the way to get him, given his current lack of transportation. The only problem was he hadn't been able to reach the brunette himself in order to tell him that he was needed.

As the cell rang through to voicemail for the third time in succession he gave up before sending off a quick text instead.

_"Quinn's water broke. Where are you? Noah x"_

Quinn was either in extreme pain, or she was extremely devious as she insisted that Noah be allowed into the delivery room as Lilith was barred by the Nurses due to a lack of space. The look on his Mom's face at the snub confirmed to him that even in the midst of having a baby, _his _baby, the blonde was fighting for him and it made him feel warm inside.

As Quinn was being loaded onto a bed while one of the Nurses went to retrieve a gown his introspection was brought to a halt by a contraction. A _big_ contraction.

_'Ow ow ow ow ow... my hand... my hand... I need that hand!'_

Noah tried desperately to evade the blonde's iron grip however she was not to be prised off. Thankfully a few seconds later the contraction eased as did the punishing pressure on his bones.

Slipping his hand from the girl's now limp grasp he sighed in relief.

"Oh quit being such a baby Noah."

Clearly contractions made Quinn cranky.

"I'm not being a baby, I just happen to like having the use of both my hands." he whined.

The blonde girl just growled at him, as the growl became a groan and another contraction overtook her.

"This is all _your_ fault Noah Puckerman... you and that _thing_ she said glaring at his crotch... oh ow ow ow ow ow...give me your hand..."

Noah looked admittedly reluctant to put himself in harms way as the girl glared at him.

"If I'm going to be shitting out a person the size of a melon through a hole the size of a lemon you are damn well going to hold my hand Noah."

The boy realised he had no choice, it wasn't entirely his fault that Q was going through this, she'd not thought of protection anymore than he had at the time, but still... he was the dude. Steeling himself he offered her his hand

_'Shit the girl has a grip...'_

He couldn't help the pained expression on his face though he refused to groan aloud, there were hot nurses in the room after all and he was a badass.

* * *

Quinn was looking... well sweaty really. The labour had been going for almost four hours now, her hair was matted and she was crying and Noah was yelping as she'd periodically crush his hand or lash out at him in anger. It was quite a comic scene that met Mercedes and Tina when they peeked through the porthole window into the delivery room.

Waving to Quinn and cheering encouragement, the midwife barked out an order to pull down the blind and the girls disappeared from view.

Turning to Quinn her voice shifted seamlessly from authoritarian to compassionate as she spoke,

"Alright honey... you're at 10cm and it's time to start pushing."

"You push, I'm done with the pushing!" ordered Quinn who looked about on the verge of passing out.

The midwife was clearly used to that response as she simply smiled at the girl until she crumbled into heaving sobs.

"I... I can't... I can't do it... I'm sorry... I want to b-but I can't fell my legs and it hurts and..."

Noah felt he had to do something to offer his support, and the gimlet eye he was getting from the other nurses and the midwife gave him that impression too.

Edging closer to the bed, he perched on the side before he stroked his hand down the back of Q's neck the way he knew she liked. The nurses all smiled into their hands as the blonde girl purred in response to the petting.

Whispering into her ear he told her,

"You can do this Q... all these months you've been the strong one and now it's almost over..."

The girl turned her head and sobbed into his shoulder before Noah's eyes widened comically in pain as she bit him _hard_.

"You did this to me..." she reminded him stalling any kind of protest he might have formed.

Turning back to the midwife her eyes showed a renewed determination and the woman nodded approvingly at Noah whose eyes were watering as a result of the throbbing pain in his shoulder.

"I'm ready now... let's get this done."

"OK... feel for the contractions... as soon as the next one starts I want to you bear down and _push_ darlin'" said the midwife as she took up what Noah realised quite amusingly was the same stance Finn would during a football game.

The smirk on his face disappeared faster than it appeared when Quinn grabbed his hand again as the next contraction hit and squeezed harder than she had ever before.

"Ohhhhh... ow ow ow ow ow ow..."

"Ohhhhh... ow ow ow ow ow ow..."

Quinn glared at the football player through her tears, for what she thought was him making fun of her when all he was doing was genuinely protesting the rubbing together of the bones in his hand.

_'I'll need to check into physiotherapy after Q's done'_

"That's it Quinn, you're almost there... just one more push darlin'..." cheered the midwife, her Texan drawl becoming more pronounced the more excited she got.

With a final scream of effort, Noah heard the telltale wet squirting noise of a baby being born followed by a high pitched crying that wasn't coming from the blonde beside him. Quinn's head had collapsed back against the headboard as she lay sobbing that the ordeal was now over.

The newborn was whisked away to the far side of the room before Noah could see anything of his daughter. The nurses all gathered round with swabs and blankets and a pair of scissors,

"Make sure it's definitely a girl first..." he blurted without thinking.

The nurses tittered at the boy as they did the check anyway, confirming that the baby was indeed a girl.

"I'm Jewish... it's a sensitive subject..." he defended as the nurses continued to enjoy his discomfit. Leaning in the nurse snipped the umbilical and they finished bundling up the little package.

Noah meanwhile had wrapped an arm around the exhausted Quinn and was whispering words of praise to her. Her sobbing had died down and she simply looked dead tired.

As the nurses approached with the baby in the blanket, Noah excused himself to let their assembled friends outside know the good news.

As the double doors whooshed shut behind him, Noah looked out over the assembled faces, more faces than he'd originally expected. He noted however that there were two major exceptions.

Tina, Artie, Mike, Matt, Aretha, Finn, Brittany and Rachel all stared back at the pale and sweaty boy.

"It's a baby..." he announced to giggles from the assembled audience.

Slapping himself in the face, ignoring an offer from Aretha to help him with that, he tried again.

"... it's a baby _girl_."

The group all cheered and a round of handshakes and backslapping took place. Despite the carnival atmosphere Noah couldn't help but be distracted and concerned by the two absentees, Kurt... and his Mom.

* * *

The whole time they were at the hospital neither Kurt or Lilith made an appearance. Not when the baby was shown to the assembled group of Glee members; not when the baby was placed into a cot and taken away; not when Quinn and Noah both broke down at the thought of giving up their flesh and blood.

Quinn had been told that she'd have to stay in overnight at the very least and that she'd hopefully be released the following afternoon. Noah had been planning on staying with Quinn but she had insisted that he at the very least go home and shower and change. She also wanted him to pick up a few items for herself which she'd neglected to bring in the rush.

Sighing as he hopped into his truck, he flicked open his cell again and tapped out a further message to the wayward brunette.

_"I don't know where you were but Q had her baby and you missed it. Call me. Noah."_

Chucking the cell onto the seat beside him Noah threw the truck into drive and made the journey home.

He was unsurprised to see that the lights were on as he pulled into the drive, clearly his Mom had to have gone somewhere.

He was tired, both physically and emotionally and would have really preferred not to have to go another twelve rounds with 'George Fore-Ma'.

Unhooking his safety belt he jumped from the truck hoping that he'd be able to slip inside and to the solitude of his bedroom without being noticed.

There was no such luck however as before he could place his own hand on the door, it opened from within.

Lilith simply stood there assessing the tired boy, her expression wasn't one of disgust or hatred as you might expect, but one of profound disappointment.

"It's a girl..." said Noah, making to move past the woman and up the stairs.

"Hold on Noah. We're not done with our discussion from earlier."

His mother's voice was soft and Noah could almost pretend that everything was going to be OK after all. He stopped on the bottom step without turning round as he replied in a tired voice.

"What more is there to say?

Lilith didn't reply however as she made her way to the living room and sat down on the couch. Shuffling after her with a resigned sigh, Noah ran a hand over his tired face and sat on the couch opposite.

The pair simply stared at each other for moments, each trying to collect their respective thoughts, neither truly wanting to begin duelling again. Eventually however his Mom's reticence annoyed Noah and he snapped,

"What do you want from me Ma? I'm tired and I need to get back to the hospital."

The words seemed to ignite the flame in Lilith.

"What do I want? I want a son who isn't a deviant..." she watched as her son flinched at both her tone and choice of words, "... I'm glad that your friend called Noah. I love you. You are my son and it is my responsibility to ensure that you are guided properly."

"Guided properly! Ma I've brought myself up since I was 11 years old and you told me to be the 'Man of the House'!"

Lilith looked truly hurt that Noah could possibly think that.

"I worked two jobs for fifteen years straight Noah. I scrimped and saved and... and yes maybe I didn't have the time to be there as much as I should have but don't you _dare_ try to say I haven't been a good Mother. The very fact you have a roof over your head should be indication enough."

Noah's head sank into his hands as he truly didn't want to continue fighting this battle. He'd lit the touchpaper on Lilith however as she steamrollered on.

"You are still young Noah, and already you've brought shame on me, on your sister and on the whole family by getting that girl Quinn pregnant."

Lilith paused to catch her breath and centre herself. Noah had yet to move from his position with his head in his hands.

"Thankfully now that the girl has had her baby we don't have to worry about that anymore. I will not sit idly by however and watch you make yet another mistake."

Noah's ire was raised again sufficiently for him to take one more swipe.

"Kurt is not a _mistake_!"

Realising that the argument was going to escalate again Lilith attempted to be conciliatory.

"He is for you Noah..." she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose,"... Noah you've always been such an impulsive boy. Do you think I don't know about what you do with those older women? I'm their age Noah, some of them are my _friends_. And friends talk. I know you can't be... be that way. You just can't."

Noah's jaw dropped at his Mother's revelation. She'd never before given any indication that she had any idea of his former promiscuity.

"Now, I've spoken with that girl Santana... she's such a nice girl. I remember her from when you used to bring her round. She's got a good head on her shoulders and I think she'd be good for you and you treated her badly Noah."

Noah couldn't believe what he was hearing, his Mom wanted to set him up with Santana?

_'Oh HELL naw...' _crowed the Aretha in his mind causing him to twitch in surprise.

"But I'm not a complete monster Noah. I still love you and want the best for you. So I'm going to give you a choice."

Noah's stomach dropped at the thought of what possible good could come from this.

"Now don't get your hopes up. Either way you will not be seeing _Kurt_ again..." she spat the name as if the very syllables tasted bitter to her, "... so here are your options. One - you are to stop seeing Kurt except of course when you can't help it, like during scheduled class time and Glee club. You don't have to start dating girls again, at least not right away, though I think if you were to apologise to Santana she'd take you back."

Taking in the glazed eyes and vacant expression on her son's face, Lilith pressed on with option two,

"Two - you'll stop seeing Kurt altogether anyway because you'll be living with your Uncle Ray in Utah until you turn 18. I took the time to speak to him this afternoon and he's agreed to take you in and straighten you out."

His brain had stopped working. This was... this was _monstrous_.

"I should also tell you that if you choose to defy me Noah, I will send you to Utah and I will stop you from seeing your sister again. I will not have her exposed to this _deviance..._ it's just not proper for a young girl. Thankfully Santana has agreed to keep an eye on you in my absence should you stray."

Noah didn't respond. Didn't think. His brain had simply given up and ground to a halt. Recognising the turmoil within her son, Lilith decided to give him some time.

"I'm planning to go back to Utah the day after tomorrow. I'll want your decision before dinner tomorrow so I know if I need to book another ticket."

With that she stood, placed a hand on Noah's shoulder and squeezed,

"It's for your own good Noah, maybe in time you'll even thank me. Goodnight."

* * *

Kurt had wandered for a good couple of hours before he'd decided upon his destination. Thankfully, though it wasn't exactly scorching warm, the air was pleasant and sweet and walking wasn't such a chore.

As he slipped through the partially open gate of the memorial garden, he wandered along the rows of little markers until he came to the one he was looking for.

It was a small, oblong with a carving of a hummingbird engraved onto it's surface. There were no words, just dates 12 May 1967 - 3 February 2001.

"Hey Mom..." he addressed the stone as he sat down Indian style beside the marker, "... how've you been?"

For years since she had died, Kurt had made the pilgrimage up to the cemetery to speak with his Mom on a regular basis. His Dad had no idea that he continued to do so having trailed off from making more than the annual visit he made each year on their wedding anniversary.

"I... uh, I thought I would come speak to you, I could really use some guidance right now..."

As he sat there on the grounds he could have sworn he could smell his Mother's perfume and the sound of her laughter on the wind. Intellectually he knew it wasn't really but it was comforting to him to believe it and so he didn't question it.

"Things have gotten crazy Mom. I uh... I met a boy... I mean... I've met lots of boys... no no not like that... _ah crap_..." he cringed expecting to be scolded for his language as he would have been as a child before collecting himself.

"I have a boyfriend now. His name is Noah. I really like him Mom."

He couldn't help but smile at the thought of Noah.

"I uh... we haven't been together long... only three days really but we've known... he used to pick on me. He was one of the worst actually... but he's changed Mom, he's been so sweet and noble and gentle and... I just wonder when the other shoe is going to drop y'know? I know you'd probably scold me and tell me I'm being silly but it's what seems to happen to me. When you were here along with Dad and I things were great, things were perfect... and then you were gone and for a long time the world wasn't a nice place to be in anymore."

Kurt bowed his head as a single tear escaped him. His emotions were obviously still running high from the night before as he'd never before vented to his Mom quite like he was doing right then.

"I...uh... I lost my car... no that sounds like I was careless... someone set fire to my car... because of who... because of _what_ I am. I just... I miss you Mom and I could really do with someone to hold me right about now."

He could hold it in no longer and he sat head bowed and wept out his pain as the light started to fade and it started to turn dark.

Realising that he had a lengthy walk ahead of him Kurt composed himself, before saying goodnight to his Mom and placing a single kiss on the marker stone.

Feeling like a burden had been released from his soul, he wandered back down the path towards the gates and to home.

* * *

Noah hadn't sat for long on the couch before he'd shaken himself out of his stupor, stuffed the requested toiletries into a bag for Q and fled from the house. Ironically he felt too dirty right at that moment to consider showering.

His mind was in turmoil and he had no idea what he was going to do. Could he give up Kurt and go back to the way things were before? Could he give up Lima and still be with Kurt all the way from Utah? He'd have to be away 18 months before he'd be able to come back, and even when he did his Mom had already said he'd never see Sarah again. He loved his little sister, the thought of never being able to see her again made him sick to his stomach. Spending 18 months in Utah might as well be a jail sentence, his Uncle Raymond had no telephone at the ranch, no electricity other than a small generator to power the refrigerator and the air-con, he would literally be cut off from the outside world. He probably wouldn't even be able to contact Kurt for the entire time he would be away.

_'Damn Santana... Damn Mom... Damn them both to Hell...'_

Throwing the bag of toiletries onto the seat beside him he winced at the sound of clinking glass, hoping and praying that nothing had smashed.

Starting up the truck, he wasn't surprised to find he'd backed out of the drive fast enough to leave tyre marks on the asphalt as he streaked towards the intersection. Every fibre of his being was telling him to get as far away from his house and his Mom as he could. Flooring it, he streaked straight through the intersection, narrowly missing a pick-up coming the other way.

As he headed past the reservoir on his way to the hospital, he realised his vision was blurring. Pressing a hand to his eye in concern he was shocked when it came came away wet. Startled to find that he was crying and hadn't even noticed Noah pulled the truck over to the side of the road and switched the engine off.

Feeling suddenly claustrophobic Noah scrabbled at the door release and managed to stumble out of the truck, coming to rest against the wall beside the water.

In the silent isolation of the night, beside the silvery waters of the reservoir he broke down, raging at the unfairness of it all.

Several minutes of hysterical tears later Noah had accepted what he had to do. A sense of purpose suffused him and his tears dried up though the anger and betrayal burned hotter than ever.

Turning back to his truck he picked up his cell and tapped out two messages, hitting send.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath in through his nose, Noah wound up like a baseball pitcher before sending his cell arcing through the night sky. A single deep splash sounded before silence once again reigned over the water.

_'God may offer me forgiveness... but I'll never forgive myself.'_

* * *

Kurt had arrived home in good spirits following his visit to the cemetery and after having fixed himself a Caesar Salad, he had sat with his Dad to watch Greatest Catch. Midway through the double episode he'd yawned so loud and so long that Burt had ordered him to go to his bed.

Nodding in agreement, eyes already slipping shut Kurt had taken his dishes back to the kitchen, rinsing them under the faucet. Placing them on the rack to dry, he'd wearily shuffled to his bedroom door and punched in the code, stumbling half-asleep down the stairs.

No matter how tired he might have been skincare was still important to the brunette so he forced himself to take a shower, wash his hair and moisturise properly.

As he was applying the final spritz of moisturiser his vanity drawer vibrated causing him to shriek and drop the bottle. A memory surfaced of earlier in the afternoon when he'd locked his cell in the drawer after obsessively checking it for messages. Disengaging the lock on the drawer, Kurt picked up his cell and flicked through the various calls and messages he'd missed.

When he got to the message from Noah about Quinn, he felt awful for having missed the birth of her child. His mood didn't improve any when he saw the message from Mercedes as she'd sat outside to pick him up or the one from Noah saying that the baby had been born already and given up for adoption. He felt like a crappy friend and resolved to apologise to Quinn the first chance he got.

Flicking to the final and most recent text, his world shattered.

"_Hummel. I've come to my senses. We're through. Puck.'_

* * *

Meanwhile in a house three blocks away a satisfied Lilith Puckerman had just retrieved a message from her son,

"_You win Ma. Option One. Won't be back before you leave. Hope you're happy.'_

Yes. On reflection Lilith Puckerman was definitely happy.

* * *

**A/N: I know, I know – you all hate me now. I get it. I hate myself and I'm the one that had to write this so cut me some slack?**

**I'd like at this point to invite any and all suggestions on how best you'd like for Lilith to be horribly killed. Plane? Train? Lion? No holds barred. You suggest it, I'll write it as a little one-shot. I'll consider it therapy.**

**PLEASE REVIEW**


	30. Chapter 30

******Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

**A/N: First of all can I just say the response to the last chapter has been more phenomenal than I ever thought it would be. As much as I know that I've probably annoyed you all with the Angst Train which just keeps on rolling, your reactions were even more profound than I was hoping for. It's a massive compliment for me to know that I can get you all riled up so much and involved in my story enough to react as you have. I'm afraid the happy chapters are going to be few and far between however. This is me now making the transition between what would have been the end of 'Book One' and the beginning of 'Book Two' - so if you're still with me, and you are still invested enough in seeing if Noah and Kurt can patch things up, I'm going to keep writing.**

**Oh, and having gotten bored with Supernatural early in Season 1, I had no prior idea there was a demon called Lilith who skinned people. I actually pictured Dr. Lilith Sternin, Frasier's ex-wife in my head.**

**Finally a little pep-talk...**

**Chins up my darlings, though the road might be long and the night dark... in the end, dawn always breaks.**

**Chapter 30 - Breaking Up**

* * *

By the time Noah had gotten a grip on his emotions and gotten back to the hospital Quinn had already been asleep for several hours. The night security guard had looked at the dishevelled boy in concern as he'd shuffled up to the door of Quinn's room, peering through the glass and sighing at the sight before him.

_'All of this might have been unintentional... but it got me a best friend so it wasn't all bad'_

Resolving to let the girl sleep uninterrupted he shuffled back down the hall to the Nurse's station and was surprised to see the same nurse that had treated both he and Kurt when they'd been in the hospital. Her eyes widened in recognition before she greeted him,

"Noah right?"

He nodded morosely,

"What are you doing back here so soon, not a problem with my stitches I hope..." she said indicating the plaster still on the boy's forehead.

Raising his hand, Noah brushed his hand over the material before his brain understood what the woman was talking about,

"Uh... oh no, the stitches are fine... good job on those...Q just needed some stuff...", he said indicating the bag in his hand.

"Oh..." she exclaimed clearly taken by surprise. She blushed before trying to explain,

"Er... right... sorry, I... don't take this the wrong way... but I got the impression you were with that little brunette boy... Burt?"

"Kurt", corrected Noah automatically without thinking, "... and... yes I was... for a time. It's... it's complicated."

The look of compassion on the nurse's face made Noah uncomfortable, he could feel emotions he was trying desperately to clamp down on bubbling to the surface like lava from a volcano. It would only be a matter of time before the pressure got too great and he'd have to vent.

"You look dog tired hon'... say there's a room there with a shower and a bed.. " she said indicating the doorway first on the right down the hallway towards Q, "...we're pretty quiet just now, so why don't you go get cleaned up and get some shut eye. You look like you need it and your friend ain't going anywhere til morning at least."

Noah took a few seconds to process the offer and his heart swelled in gratitude. He had one thing he had to do first though,

"Uh...could you maybe, like hold onto Quinn's stuff til morning. She asked me to fetch it from home but she's asleep now."

"Sure I can... and my name's Jess honey. Now go on and get some rest before you pass out. Having a baby can be a stressful time"

_'Having a baby was the easy part...'_

Nodding in gratitude even as he could feel his eyelids slipping shut, Noah staggered down the hallway, taking two attempts to get a grip on the door handle before stumbling into the room.

The room itself was a mirror image of the room Q was sleeping in just down the hall. Shutting the door behind him, Noah slipped off his hooded tee and his jeans and made his way to the shower room.

Flicking the switch he grimaced at the bright light which resulted and covered his eyes for a moment to allow them to adjust.

Finally, he switched on the shower, setting it to as hot as it could go, before stripping out of his underwear and under the scalding hot spray.

Noah had no idea how long he'd stood there his own hot tears mixing with the powerful spray. Finally however the hot water started to feel lukewarm and Noah realised he'd desensitized himself too much for the water to have the same effect.

Switching off the flow, he stood within the confines of the small cubicle as the steam swirled around him and tried not to let the ache in his chest cause him to break down again.

Taking a towel from the rack, grimacing as the scratchy fabric appeared to shift the water about on his body rather than absorb it, he slipped back into his clothes before curling up on the lumpy mattress, letting the darkness consume him.

* * *

Kurt had read the message from Noah often enough now that it was imprinted onto his mind and he was able to see the words even with his eyes closed.

"_Hummel. I've come to my senses. We're through. Puck.'_

A deep panic had set in as he'd read the message and he'd frantically tried to call the football player, but the boy's cell reported that he was outwith the coverage area. So instead he'd sent a pleading message to the boy asking that he talk to him. That he explain what he'd done wrong and he'd try to fix it. He hated that he sounded so needy but he couldn't help it.

No response came and the hours dragged by.

The time alone in the dark allowed Kurt to think, which was both a curse and a blessing.

Had he done something wrong? Was he not good enough in some way? Was he just defective as a human being?

The message had been signed 'Puck', did that mean it was all some cruel joke? Some Machiavellian plot to steal his heart away and then stomp all over it?

And then a thought occurred to him.

_'The car...'_

A momentary sadness overtook him at the thought of his now totalled Navigator. It made sense however as he concluded that Noah's behaviour must be because of what had happened to his baby.

Noah had seen what being with him was going to be like and had decided that he'd be better off on his own. He must have gotten scared and was now trying to undo the events of the past week.

_'Coward...'_

The thought brought Kurt up short.

Kurt had considered many words over the years when it came to describing the mohawked teen. Stupid, moronic and obnoxious, those were a given... sweet, gentle and dare he say it, _loving_... those were words he'd more recently come to associate with the boy.

Noah Puckerman was many things, but Kurt had never before considered him to be a coward.

It just didn't add up that after the events of the past week, the boy he'd come to know as Noah would want to go back to being Puck. No matter how scared he was.

Kurt concluded that there was just no way that the past week could have been part of an elaborate trick. It was simply incomprehensible that Noah could be that good an actor to have been able to pull off that scale of a deception on so many people. Not to mention that the pair had been intimate with each other and he'd quite clearly witnessed the football player's attraction to him.

He supposed that he couldn't really fault Noah for being scared. He'd been dealing with being gay for a lot longer than the football player and so he'd become slightly desensitized to the usual harassment, though even Kurt would admit a blazing car was more extreme than normal.

Still he couldn't help the small resentful voice in his head that decried Noah and thought that he could have just talked to him and he could have tried to help.

Kurt had not shed any tears, which he thought was a little strange. He figured it must be the shock.

He'd heard his Dad locking the house down before he'd turned in for the night and it was eerily silent except for the occasional groan as the house settled, mixed with the sound of his own breathing as he sat staring into the mirror.

Noah had tried to leave him. And he'd tried to do so by _text_ message.

Feeling a renewed sense of purpose Kurt determined that there had to be more to this story than he currently understood.

He was not going to go quietly into the night. He was going to fight for this, or at the very least fight to get Noah to explain exactly why it was over.

He was Kurt Hummel and he was not going to be dumped by _text_ by a scared little boy.

If Noah Puckerman thought this was over, he had a lot to learn about Kurt Hummel.

* * *

Noah had woken with a startled yelp as the door to the hospital room opened. Bleary eyes took in the silhouette of the nurse, Jess as she whispered to him,

"I'm sorry to wake you hon, really I am. But we have a patient incoming and we're gonna need the room."

Through his sleep fogged mind, Noah had to take a couple of seconds to process what the woman had said. Finally, nodding, he swung his legs over the end of the bed and got to his feet.

"Have I got time to use the bathroom?" he asked, clearing his throat as his voice was still scratchy.

Jess just nodded,

"You should have, just be quick please?"

He was back in the waiting area within three minutes.

Sitting slumped on the couch Noah closed his eyes and tilted his head back to lean against the wall. He felt like crap. And not just because he'd gotten 45 minutes sleep on a lumpy mattress in a hospital ward.

His introspection was broken by the sound of pounding feet and the swing doors being bashed open. Another young girl, no more than 18, was wheeled through in a wheelchair by a copper headed woman in her late 30s. The girl was obviously pretty well into labour as her she attempted to muffle her screams into the back of the stuffed giraffe caught in her vice-like grip.

As the group moved down the corridor and out of sight towards the delivery rooms, Noah felt the presence of another person standing by the swing doors.

Glancing in that direction he saw a man, probably a couple of years older than him seemingly cut adrift in the middle of the reception area and unsure where to go.

Noah watched as the man shook his head forcefully before he staggered into the waiting area and collapsed onto one of the couches with a groan.

The jock was prepared to ignore the stranger in favour of closing his eyes and attempting to get some more sleep when a nasal voice penetrated the silence,

"Stupid labour pains... stupid kid couldn't wait til morning I guess..." the stranger yawned and scratched the back of his head as he chuckled at his own joke.

Noah wasn't really interested in exchanging pleasantries with this schmuck. Unfortunately Karma was a real bitch and the stranger wasn't about to let him away easy.

"So... you had yours yet?"

"Huh?"

The man looked at him like he was a little dense and repeated again in a slower voice,

"Have you had yours yet? Your baby?"

Noah had already christened the man Schmuck so it didn't matter what his name now turned out to be.

"Uh... yeah... few hours ago."

The man nodded and air high-fived him from across the room.

"When Kristal got pregnant man, I was like... dumb bitch..." Schmuck was clearly intent on talking despite the glare Noah was sending him to shut up, "... I was all like, well how'd that happen and what you want me to do about it? And she was all like you'll have to take care of it and you'll have to get a job and I'm like... _fuck off..."_

Schmuck's voice trailed off as he looked about the room before whispering conspiratorially,

"Between you and me dude... soon as I can, I'm skipping out of town on the bitch _and_ the mistake and I'm not lookin' back."

Schmuck was clearly a moron and Noah couldn't help himself, he'd been under too much stress already and Schmuck presented too inviting a target.

By the time the security guard had been able to wrench Noah from the prone body under him, Schmuck had a broken nose, severe swelling around his eyes and was huddled cradling what would later turn out to be a fractured wrist.

Thankfully for Noah the security guard, Leon, had heard Schmuck running his mouth and being a family man and father of four himself, had been silently cheering Noah on as he'd landed his first few blows. Still as much as it pained him Leon had a job to do and so he'd eventually intervened. But not before 'accidentally' treading on Schmuck's wrist however. Leon had enjoyed immensely the dull crack he'd heard as his full weight came to bear.

Having shoved Noah unresisting onto one of the couches and assisted Jess with relocating Schmuck to the ER to have his wounds taken care of, Leon had left to take up his post by the doors again with a sly wink to the football player and a murmured,

"Good going son..."

Checking his watch, Noah realised that it was getting close to breakfast time and suspected Q would be awake by now.

His theory was proven right when he peeked in through the window to see Q sorting through the contents of the bag he'd brought back with him earlier, clearly Jess had been in sometime during he night to check on her.

Pushing open the door he saw her smile blossom and then die away as she took in his scruffy appearance and downtrodden demeanour.

"Hey..." he murmured as he crossed to place a kiss on the girl's temple and give her a small hug.

"Hey yourself..." she replied before adding, "... You look like crap Noah..."

He couldn't help it, her statement brought a chuckle out of him and before he knew it he was laughing so hard it hurt and there were tears in his eyes.

Realising he was scaring Quinn he attempted to sober up and lessened his hysterical laughter to a light tittering.

"What happened Noah?"

_'Damn the girl and her perceptionness... Is that even a word?' _he thought as he sighed.

"Mom happened."

Clearly Quinn wasn't going to take single syllable answers as she lashed out landing a punch square onto the bruised area of his arm she had been laying into when in labour.

"Owww..."

The pain was refreshing for Noah and focused his muddled mind somewhat as he explained to the girl.

"I... uh... I went home as you wanted me to... Mom was there..." he paused and she nodded at him to continue,

"I tried Q, I really did... but she dragged me into another argument and this time she won."

Quinn's expression was cold enough that were she to lay eyes on Lilith at that moment, the Puckerman matriarch would have died of hypothermia.

"What did she do Noah?" she asked harshly, cursing herself a little as the clearly emotional boy flinched at her tone.

"She... uh... she gave me choices... either I broke up with Kurt and only saw him in class and Glee... or she'd ship me off to live in Utah until I turned 18. And if I... if I defied her she'd also stop me from seeing Sarah again to save her from exposure to my _deviance_."

Quinn was horrified. She didn't want her friend to go to Utah and she said as much,

"You can't go to Utah Noah, I... I need you here..."

The small quiver in the girl's voice betrayed her fears that the boy was going to be wrenched from her life.

"Don't worry Q, I'm not going anywhere." he said with a bitter laugh as he ran a hand over his face.

Realisation dawned and Quinn realised how he could say that with utter certainty.

"No... Noah you didn't, please tell me you didn't."

"I didn't want to..."

A single tear that rolled down the boy's cheek as a sob bubbled up from his chest.

"Oh Noah..."

She opened her arms and Noah practically launched himself into her embrace. Quinn winced slightly at the pressure on her still tender body but ignored it in favour of comforting the distraught boy in her arms. She could hear Noah still mumbling but against her chest she couldn't make out the words,

"Noah, sweetheart... I can't understand you..."

Raising his head slightly, she heard him repeat himself,

"I broke up with Kurt."

Her heart hurt at the admission as she asked him,

"How did he take it?"

Noah sat back on his haunches and with his head tilted to his chest mumbled something again which Quinn made him repeat,

"I don't know. I...uh... text him and then threw my cell in the reservoir."

"You _text_ him? Noah!"

The outraged tone of the girl brought a fresh round of sobs from Noah and his breathing became more erratic as he desperately tried to explain.

"I uh... I couldn't... he has to hate me Q... I can't explain to him in person, you k-know he'd fight me on it and I can't lose you or Sarah and I can't get sent to Utah... I just can't!"

Noah prepared himself for the final nail in the coffin fully expecting that Q would send him away.

"I... uh, I told him that I'd come to my senses..." he could hear the girl growl, "... and I signed it Puck."

A sharp crack sounded in the room and Noah's head spun as he picked himself up off the floor. His cheek was stinging but he offered no complaints as he simply stood there ready and willing to take further blows.

Quinn was crying and despite her physical discomfort had drawn her knees up to her chest.

"You... you, I can't believe you Noah... I expected better of you..." she looked him straight in the eye before saying two words that confirmed his worst fears,

"Get out."

* * *

Kurt had woken on the Sunday morning refreshed and surprisingly chipper all things considered. He'd decided not to take what Noah had sent him to heart until he'd had the chance to confront the boy face to face and have him break up with him to his face.

Though the thought of the boy doing just that caused Kurt's insides to knot terribly, he was almost certain that Noah had just gotten scared and that things would work out alright in the end.

He'd heard his Dad get up early and his truck start up and leave. Kurt figured his Dad was going to spend the morning fishing before heading to the store like usual.

Taking an extra long shower and fixing himself to look beautiful as always, Kurt sent a message to Mercedes to see if she'd like to go to the Mall. A little retail therapy after the high emotion of the past couple of days was just what the doctor ordered.

Kurt smiled as he received an exuberant reply from the girl saying she was thinking the exact same thing and would be there in ten to pick him up. Stopping in the kitchen he read the note his Dad had left for him to say he'd be gone til mid-afternoon and to be good.

He also mentioned that he'd put in the insurance claim on the Navigator and that they'd go shopping for a replacement car together soon. There was also a hurried post-script saying that he'd be meeting with Principal Figgins the following morning to discuss the police investigation into the arson attack. Burt was on the warpath and it gave Kurt a feeling of security to know it.

As he heard a horn honk outside, he put the finishing touches to his outfit, which he thought was just darling and without a backwards glance skipped down the steps and to Mercedes' car.

Mercedes as you would probably expect, did not drive a Mercedes. It was a running joke in the Jones family that their selections of motor vehicles were severely restricted by their Father's obsession with naming his kids after automobiles. Her older sister Porsche was just as bitter about the whole thing and had received no end of teasing when she'd started dating a German exchange student her first semester at College.

As the Fiesta pulled away from the kerb, Mercedes examined her friend, seeing the sparkle of excitement in his eye and no trace of what she'd expected.

"OK... spill."

Deciding that he wanted to toy with the girl a bit he grinned and replied,

"I don't know what you mean..."

"You're in a good mood."

Rolling his eyes Kurt refused to be brought down by the girl,

"My baby is gone." A slight pang knocked him but he recovered quickly,

"There's nothing I can do about that except mourn and move on. Besides Dad has already promised to take me shopping for a new car and I've had my eye on the Volvo C30 ever since I saw Twilight."

Though she nodded Mercedes couldn't help but be sceptical,

"You're sure you're OK?"

Kurt considered whether he was. His baby had been burnt to a husk and his boyfriend had dumped him all within the space of 48 hours. He figured if he really thought about it he should probably be a wreck. However his car could be replaced and he wasn't letting Noah get away that easily so,

"Yeah... I think I am."

_'At least until tomorrow'_

Nothing further was said on the matter as the pair headed up the Interstate towards delicious Frappucinos and hours of clothes shopping.

* * *

**A/N: Another chapter in the bag – hopefully I've been able to expand a little on Noah's motivation for being as callous as he was. It certainly makes sense to me anyway, fear makes people do stupid things. I've tried to get Kurt's reaction right but I'm not entirely happy with it. He's saying what I wanted him to say I'm just not feeling blown away by what I've written.**

**Next chapter will have the Kurt/Noah face-off; a confrontation between Brittany and Santana, a little smidgen of Noah/Santana and maybe a little Burt thrown in too.**

**PLEASE REVIEW**


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

**A/N: **

***muffled* **

**"mmmummum mumupphyu mmyummyum" **

***flips open the visor on his crash helmet* **

**"Sorry, ahem, that's better. I said, 'sorry about the unorthodox headgear, but it's become necessary to avoid exploding teens and rotten fruit." **

**Things in this chapter might prove to either get you all worked up even more or might satisfy you a little. Who knows anymore? All aboard!**

**Chapter 31 - Confrontation **

* * *

Last time on Supernatu... on Whatever You Want,

_"A sharp crack sounded in the room and Noah's head spun as he picked himself up off the floor. His cheek was stinging but he offered no complaints as he simply stood there ready and willing to take further blows. _

_Quinn was crying and despite her physical discomfort had drawn her knees up to her chest._

_"You... you, I can't believe you Noah... I expected better of you..." she looked him straight in the eye before saying two words that confirmed his worst fears,_

_"Get out.""_

* * *

Just as Noah's hand landed on the door knob and he prepared to flee, a small voice barked out an order that would prove to be a balm for his tortured soul,

"Noah wait!"

He froze with his hand on the handle, unwilling and unable to turn around, he knew he couldn't take the inevitable look of betrayal in Q's eyes.

"I... I... don't go... I didn't... I didn't mean it. Please don't go."

He turned around slowly, still expecting some kind of trick, perhaps a bedpan to the face or a catheter pee bomb.

Quinn was still tucked up in her bed however, her face a picture of abject misery, her eyes were red as she attempted to stem the flow of tears. He didn't approach the girl at first, at least not until she opened her arms with a miserable,

"Noah..."

And then the walls Noah had attempted to erect came crashing down and he was crossing the room and snatching the girl up into a punishing embrace.

It was Quinn's turn this time to mumble incoherently into his chest and he couldn't control the impulse to tease the girl,

"Q, sweetheart... I can't understand you..."

She giggled wetly and butted her head against his chest seeing as her arms were at that moment wrapped around his waist, bunched up in the material of his shirt.

"I said, my stupid hormones are still out of control."

Rubbing soothing circles on the girls back he replied,

"How long are they going to last? Just so I know how long to get out of town..."

Noah yelped as he felt unnaturally sharp teeth settling around his left nipple and,

"Ow, ow ow ow ow ow ow... OK, OK I'm sorry..."

Thankfully the pressure was released but Noah just knew that if he were to take his shirt off there'd be teeth marks even through the material of his shirt.

Noah felt Quinn relax against his chest before she spoke again, this time her voice was level and clear of emotion.

"You know you should have come to me before you made a complete ass hat of yourself don't you?"

Noah nodded meekly in acceptance realising that if anyone would have been able to help him, if anyone would have been willing to help him, it would have been Q.

"I... I was just so tired Q... and she cornered me and I couldn't see a way out. I guess I failed again didn't I?"

Quinn patted Noah on the back in sympathy,

"You did. You fell back to being Puck again when you got scared." Noah grimaced at the admonishment.

"We'll try tomorrow to sort this out with Kurt. Hopefully he'll be willing to give you the chance to explain. And to make amends. It'll probably involve indentured servitude and sexual favours but I think it might be possible."

She couldn't help noticing the jock's perking up at the mention of sexual favours and admonished him with a chuckle,

"Down boy!"

"Yes Quinn" he grumbled, though he cracked a smile too.

"We'll have to figure out what we're going to do about your Mom though, if you want to keep seeing Kurt..." she groaned as he squeezed her emphatically, "... OK, that's definitive... she can't find out..."

Quinn's voice trailed off as she ran through various scenarios in her head before striking on a distasteful, dangerous but ultimately effective plan.

Smiling at the jock, her eyes glittered as she announced,

"I may have a plan. You're not going to like it, but it might be the only way."

* * *

Though Kurt had tried to ignore the growing feeling in the pit of his stomach and project a false sense of cheer, Mercedes was no fool.

She'd let the boy stew for a couple of hours, determining that eventually he'd crack and spill open like a fashionably dressed, Armani-clad piñata.

She'd been right.

The pair had been wandering aimlessly amongst the racks of clothes when Kurt had picked up a powder blue tee with a cartoon of a Muppet on the front. He'd actually held it up to himself in the full length mirror before realising what he was doing.

Groaning at his own bad taste and discarding the tee back to whence it came, Mercedes noted that he was now ready to talk.

"So... what happened?"

Kurt looked at her and she could see the pain in his eyes which he'd been trying to bury for the past few hours.

"I got a text from Noah and he broke up with me."

He'd tried to keep his voice steady as he'd said it however the quiver was evident by the time the final syllable escaped him.

Kurt looked to Mercedes expecting to see sympathy but when he saw fury he recoiled slightly.

"Oh honey, I'm not mad at you..." said Mercedes slightly ashamed that she'd scared her friend, "... I'm just plotting ways to make that meat head rue the day he met 'cedes Jones."

Kurt couldn't help but chuckle at the look on her friends face.

"Why are you laughing? You shouldn't be laughing Kurt. Did you want him to break up with you?"

Kurt's laughter died as he looked at Mercedes seriously,

"No I didn't want him to break up with me but I do _not_ get dumped by text message. If he wants to leave me fine, there are plenty more hunks in the sea, but he'll do it to my face and he'll give me a better reason than 'I've come to my senses'."

If Noah had been in the room at that point Mercedes would have been liable to claw his eyes out. Though Kurt seemed to be quite positive, it was obvious to the girl that he was worried for what tomorrow would bring.

He smiled a watery smile at the girl before summing up,

"If it's not to be, it's not to be 'cedes. I can't make him love me."

* * *

The Doctor had been by and checked Quinn over later than afternoon and to their immense relief had pronounced her well enough to be discharged.

By the time they had gathered up all of the blonde's belongings and Q had gingerly walked with Noah to the truck, it was already early evening and the sky was ablaze with a riot of vivid oranges and reds.

The journey back from the hospital was peaceful only broken by a single snort as they drove past the reservoir which sparkled in the early evening light,

"What?" asked Quinn looking at the boy curiously.

Noah simply shook his head and answered with a wry smile,

"My cell coverage is going to be screwed by all that water."

The pair shared a look and a giggle as the truck turned off the reservoir road back towards town.

As the truck came round the corner and the Puckerman house loomed into view, Noah was relieved to see that the lights were off and that his Mom must have left to catch her flight already.

Had he not been so focused on the house itself and on not crashing the truck, he might have seen the tail-lights of the cab containing Lilith as it turned the corner at the end of the street and disappeared into the distance.

As the truck came to a shuddering halt in the drive, Noah noticed Quinn wince in discomfort at the less than smooth deceleration. Quickly hopping from the cab he was around at the passenger side before Quinn could even move to open the door.

Hauling the heavy door himself, noticing absently that the hinge could do with some oil, he gripped the girl about the waist gently before lowering her to the ground. He blushed slightly when he received a peck on the cheek in thanks for his thoughtfulness.

Grabbing the girl's bag to save her carrying the weight herself he assisted the clearly flagging blonde up the steps and got her settled into her favourite seat in front of the TV.

"I'll make some tea..." he offered and got a sleepy smile of thanks in return.

Placing the bag on the kitchen table, Noah filled the kettle and set it on the stove to boil before emptying Q's bag. Sorting through the contents, he carried the clothes down to the laundry room and placed them into the machine.

By the time he had climbed back up to the kitchen he could hear the shrill whistle of the kettle and he snagged it off the heat, silencing it.

Pouring the water into two cups he dropped in a bag of green tea for Q and Earl Grey for himself as he let them infuse. Finally satisfied they were ready, he looked in the refrigerator for a lemon, which he sliced up and added a wedge of to his cup.

Carrying both back through to the living room he wasn't surprised to find that Q had nodded off while he'd been away. The girl looked so peaceful that Noah couldn't bring himself to disturb her, especially after the weekend she'd had.

Retreating again to the kitchen he placed Q's cup back on the counter before sitting himself at the kitchen table to think.

Quinn had been right that he'd panicked. She'd also been right that he'd made the snap decision that he'd have to become Puck again because he was scared not to. Though he was still trying to be Noah, the temptation to do what was easy rather than what was best was always present.

He was like a recovering alcoholic, only his poison was Puck. And he'd slipped off the wagon and most likely ruined his relationship with the brunette.

By the time Noah moved from the table, the cup of untouched tea in his hands had gone stone cold and the sunset had transitioned to night.

Padding back through to the living room he found Q hadn't moved from the couch but that she'd be in agony come morning if he didn't move her.

Slipping his arms under her body, he noted the significant difference in the girl's weight, not that she'd ever been truly heavy. Q sighed as she snuggled into Noah's neck and placed a kiss on the exposed skin before dropping back off again.

As Noah took the girl's shoes off and tried to make her as comfortable as he could, he couldn't help but chuckle at how easily the pair interacted like an old married couple. Pulling the comforter higher, Noah tucked the girl in before placing a kiss on her forehead.

Retreating to his own room, Noah stripped out of his clothing, deciding that he'd forego sleepwear as the air was quite humid.

Slipping between the sheets he sighed and tried to get some rest before school in the morning.

* * *

As Kurt finished his preparations on Monday morning, he considered the possible outcomes of the day ahead. Either he'd be able to salvage his relationship with Noah or he wouldn't. He wasn't sure why it was that being dumped so unceremoniously by the jock the other day hadn't left him a sobbing and broken mess. He supposed it was because he truly didn't believe the text could be true.

Logically Kurt knew that he'd fallen hard and fast for the football player. He'd just been so strong, and protective and wonderful for those few days together. He'd defended his honour, protected his well-being and his kisses were like ambrosia to the brunette and made his head spin.

What would happen however if he challenged Noah to dump him to his face and he did? Could he stand the rejection having given so much of himself over to the relationship in such a short space of time.

A part of him wondered whether he could truly be satisfied with a life which didn't include Noah anymore. He supposed the next few hours would decide whether he would find out.

Considering his outfit for the day, Kurt had picked out his tightest pair of black jeans and matched them with a form fitting maroon mesh top. The outfit he'd never worn before but knew was killer as he'd been saving it for Spring Break and one of the parties he'd get invited to. He particularly loved the mesh top which in the right light became almost see through, showing off his pale torso to full effect. At least if worst came to worst and Noah did break up with him, he would have to spend the rest of the day looking at the brunette and considering exactly what it was that he was losing.

Picking up his cell, keys and bag, he headed for the kitchen to grab some breakfast. He was surprised to see his Dad at the kitchen table with forms and brochures strewn all around him.

"Hey Kurt..." he offered while he filled in the box on a form, his tongue trapped between his teeth as he concentrated.

"Hi Dad. What's all this?" he said indicating the papery mass that would prevent him from having breakfast at the table as he slipped two slices of bread in the toaster.

Burt grunted before rolling his eyes at the mountains of paperwork,

"Insurance claim forms, loss adjustment forms, test drive applications - how'd you like a Porsche?"

Kurt's jaw dropped open and he just stared at his Dad.

_'A Porsche... I would kill for a Porsche, oh imagine... it'd be glorious...'_

He was brought out of his daydream by Burt's deep rumbling laughter as he pointed his finger at his son's face and Kurt realised he'd been had.

"Gotcha!"

"Daaad. That was cruel..."

His whining tone didn't do anything to lessen his Dad's laughter though as Kurt rolled his eyes and snatched the toast out of the air as it popped up. As the brunette spread some marmalade on the slices and placed them onto a plate, he heard his Dad's chuckling stop and the older man clear his throat,

"I have a meeting with Principal Figgins this morning to discuss the lack of security cameras at your school. Unfortunately it looks like whoever decided to destroy your car will get away with it..."

Kurt's face fell at the thought that the vandals would be free to wreak more havoc unchecked and realising that he was spoiling his son's good mood Burt offered,

"Uh...say, would you... seeing as I'll be at your school anyway,...like to go for lunch maybe? You can bring your friends if you like, oh and uh... Noah I suppose."

The offer was unexpected and very welcome as far as the soprano was concerned, an excuse to escape the school for the afternoon might come in handy if things with Noah went badly.

"Sure Dad. That'd be great. I'll see if my friends want to come too. Where shall I meet you?"

"Out front is probably best."

Kurt nodded as he polished off the last of his breakfast and placed rinsed his plate off at the sink.

Picking up his book bag he looked at his Dad. hard at work again over the insurance forms before wishing him a good day,

"I'll see you at lunch", said Burt as he smiled as Kurt brushed a kiss to the top of his head on the way out the door just as Mercedes Fiesta pulled up to the kerb.

Opening the passenger door, Kurt got himself comfortable and said morning to Mercedes who was replying to a text it appeared.

He looked to the girl when he realised she still hadn't pulled away from the kerb and hadn't wished him a good morning in reply. Mercedes was just sitting with her jaw hanging open staring at the brunette.

"What?" he said checking his reflection in the mirror.

_'Hair perfect, skin perfect, lips rosy, outfit sexy...'_

Mercedes cleared her throat and Kurt could see the fading blush on the girl's face,

"Uh... Kurt... _what_ are you wearing? Boy you're going to give half the school an embolism if they see your damn nipples!"

Kurt just rolled his eyes at the girl before replying,

"Let them look. Maybe it'll give Noah some second thoughts too."

"Hot damn Kurt, if only you were straight I'd be all over you myself... where have you been hiding those abs?" The girl was practically drooling in admiration.

Kurt looked at his own stomach self-consciously. He had to admit that since he'd taken up football and had joined the Cheerios that his fitness had improved somewhat, and yes there was now some definition to his chest but surely it wasn't that noticeable.

"Oh puhleeez 'cedes, like it's that noticeable."

The girl just snorted before pulling the car back out into traffic,

"Boy, you are a fool if you believe that."

* * *

Noah had been woken up early, really early, by the shrieking of a banshee coming from somewhere in the house.

Sitting up in his bed and scrambling to his feet just as the scream died he tried to get his bearings.

Throwing open the door to his room, he ran down the stairs in a panic,

"Quinn! Quinn! Talk to me... where are you? Quinn!"

Barrelling into the kitchen he came to a screeching halt as Q came up the stairs from the laundry room, holding _baby clothes?_

"Quinn..." he panted trying to get his breathing back under control, "... are you alright? What happened? I heard screaming... and why are you holding baby clothes?"

When Quinn noticed the boy was there she glared at him causing him to falter somewhat before she growled,

"Baby clothes? _Baby_ clothes? Noah these are MY clothes! You put them in a cold rinse and they shrunk... my favourite pyjamas..." she lamented.

"You screamed me awake because of some bad laundry?"

Noah's mind was still sleep addled somewhat and didn't realise that he was essentially poking a grizzly with a stick.

"Oh! I'm sorry..." the girl replied sarcastically and Noah realised all too late that he'd woken a sleeping giant, "... please forgive me for waking you from your precious beauty sleep."

Holding his hands up in surrender he backed away slowly before Quinn could consider throwing stuff at him,

"It's... uh... no problem... no problem at all... I'm just going to go..." he said gesturing up the stairs, "yeah... going now..."

By the time he'd gotten back up to his room and had sunk against the back of his door in relief he was completely awake. Checking the clock by his bed he groaned seeing the early hour and realising that going back to sleep wasn't an option.

Crossing the room he wrenched open his closet and took a look at the contents trying to decide what to wear.

_'If I'm going to get Kurt to forgive me I'll have to break out the guns'_

Selecting a tight fitting sleeveless shirt Noah looked out the leather pants that Q had insisted he buy the previous summer. He'd sworn at the time that no power on earth would ever cause him to want to wear them, but the blonde had insisted that he spend $300 on them anyway.

As he held the pants in his hands now and considered the soft leather he wondered whether Kurt would like it if he were to wear them.

"Only one way to find out... ", he'd muttered before looking out underwear and a towel and heading for the shower.

His shower was over in a matter of minutes and he'd shaved and trimmed his mohawk as he did at the start of every week.

Standing in the bathroom in front of the mirror he saw Q's moisturiser sitting on the shelf and could feel his curiosity piqued.

_'Kurt did say he wanted me to moisturise...'_

Biting the bullet Noah picked up the little tub and sniffed the contents. Satisfied that the cream appeared to be unscented, he smeared a little onto each cheek. Rubbing it in he examined his reflection and huffed when he could see no difference at all.

Rinsing his hands under the tap he turned his attention to the leather pants.

Putting a leg in each hole Noah had tried to simply put the pants on like he would a pair of jeans. This worked fine until he got to mid-thigh when he yelped having inadvertently given himself a wedgie.

Picking his underwear out of his crack, he grumbled and tried to work out how he was going to get the pants on if his underwear wasn't going to stay in place.

_'Lose the underwear... that's what it'll have to be... I do like going full commando... free and breezy...'_

Slipping the pants back off again with difficulty, Noah slipped his underwear off and stood in the bathroom naked as the day he was born.

Looking at the pants he saw the lace ups on the front and was concerned that he'd never be able to get them done up. Still he'd worry about that once he was in them.

_'Talcum powder...' _said the voice of Q in his head.

"Oh yeah..." he said as he recalled asking Q at the time he bought them exactly how he was supposed to get into them.

"It's easy Noah," she'd said, "you just apply talc to your legs and they'll slip right on..."

Digging through the cupboard above the sink Noah cried out in triumph as he spotted what he was looking for.

Unfortunately in his haste to pick up the bottle, Noah had applied too much pressure and one large plume of white powder later, the football player resembled an extra from Scoobie Doo.

Coughing and sputtering Noah rinsed his face and sighed,

"So much for the moisturiser..."

Carefully squeezing a small amount of powder onto his hand, Noah rubbed it onto the meat of his thighs, paying particular attention to the area around little-noah.

Hoisting the pants up now, he grinned in satisfaction when the talc did it's job and the pants came to sit riding low on his hips.

Reaching a hand down the front of his pants, he adjusted little-noah so he wasn't so uncomfortable and laced up the pants like a pair of shoes.

Slipping his top on, Noah noticed a strip of muscled stomach was visible between where his top ended and the pants began. Just as he was about to flex his guns, the door to the bathroom burst open and Quinn swept in.

Staggering back from the intrusion Noah cried,

"Q... I could have been naked or anything, jeez why don't you knock?"

The girl had come to stop just in front of him and wasn't speaking. Her eyes were wide as she took in his outfit and she snapped her jaw closed with an audible click.

"You... you look good Noah..." her voice was breathy and her skin was flushed.

"I always look good..." he preened before laughing as Q flipped him off.

"Are those the pants you said you'd 'never ever in a million years be caught dead wearing'?"

Noah nodded before Quinn added,

"Give me a twirl then..."

Noah did a quick 360˚ before coming to stop again facing the blonde.

"Those... those pants are incredible... though they don't exactly hid anything... are you even wearing underwear?"

Noah had the good grace to blush as he indicated no,

"They were too tight...", he offered in his defence.

The girl just nodded in understanding before the impulse to tease the football player became too much,

"You realise everyone and his mother is going to be able to see the outline of your junk don't you?"

The boy seemed to freeze for a moment considering the observation before he answered,

"I guess it'll just make me _cocksure_ then huh?" he grinned at the girl as she giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Alright Romeo... get out of here... I need to take a shower."

Laughing at the girl and the clearly lustful looks she was throwing his way, though he knew neither of them would ever act on them, he slipped past her and down to the kitchen to grab some breakfast.

He'd poured himself a bowl of Cheerios before he'd realised that the butterflies he was feeling in his stomach really didn't make him want to eat anything.

Sighing and pouring the contents of the bowl back into the packet he sat himself down gingerly at the table, as the leather squeaked at the new configuration.

What had seemed like a couple of minutes of solitude to the boy turned out to have been 30 minutes as Q came wandering back into the kitchen, now showered and dressed herself.

"Well c'mon then cowboy... we're going to be late..."

Standing, pants squeaking again making the blonde giggle, he followed her out the door and to the truck.

"You know... squeaking aside, Kurt is going to _love_ those pants."

"Kurt loves what's inside the pants more..." he joked as she fake heaved.

"Oh God... the images in my head..."

"Totally hot right?"

The girl blushed at the remembrance of her earlier confession to the pair and nodded in acquiescence.

Slipping the key into the ignition Noah started the truck up and pulled out onto the road.

"So are you ever going to tell me what this plan of yours is?"

Quinn looked at him out of the corner of her eye before she became serious once again,

"Oh that reminds me..." she said as she fished her cell out and sent off a quick text, smiling at the response a moment later.

Addressing Noah who had been patiently waiting she clarified,

"It's probably best you don't know. At least until we see what Kurt's reaction is like. He's kinda part of the plan..."

Noah's face fell at the thought that the little brunette wouldn't forgive Noah's and would refuse his apology.

"Oh... OK. Probably for the best then."

He felt a small hand grip his and squeeze and looked to the blonde gratefully for the support.

"I can't promise anything Noah, but I'm going to try to help you in any way I can."

"I know Q, and I love you for it all the more."

The rest of the journey to school was made in silence.

* * *

As Kurt and Mercedes arrived at the school, Mercedes looked at the boy appraisingly and spotted the slightly crazed look of panic in his eye,

"...'cedes..." he whined,

"I know boo..." consoled Mercedes, "... we need to go though. Que sera, sera and all that crap...what will be, will be, yeah?"

Squaring his shoulders and taking a deep breath, Kurt's mask slipped back into place and the Kurt Hummel everyone knew was back in charge.

"Let's go be fabulous 'cedes."

"Hell yeah!"

The pair exited the car and made their way arm in arm towards the school.

* * *

Noah and Quinn arrived at the school a few minutes before the first period classes were due to start. As Noah killed the engine of the truck, the silence stretched out as Q simply waited for the boy to collect himself.

"OK. I'm ready now." he whispered sounding very much like a man heading to his own execution.

Nodding she hopped out gingerly, wincing slightly as her muscles protested the movement as the football player did the same on his side.

Linking arms with Quinn, Noah and she marched across the lot as people in their way stopped and stared in awe.

_'Hell yeah these are badass pants alright – bow before me mofos!'_

Looking into the taller boy's face Quinn could tell exactly what he was thinking and giggled at the ecstatic expression on his face.

Rounding the corner to the front doors, Quinn spotted Santana lounging on one of the benches with Palmer and Azimio flanking her. Deciding that now was as good a time as any to put 'phase one' of her plan into operation, the blonde angled their approach to the doors so that Noah did not notice the Latina but that the Latina noticed Noah... and boy did she ever.

The girl looked like a starving man presented with a juicy steak, which is pretty much what Noah looked like to all the women in the school that morning. As they passed the group Quinn smirked when she heard Palmer whining,

"Santana are you even listening to me?"...

"Phase One complete..." she whispered.

* * *

Kurt and 'cedes had been laughing and joking as they made their way into the school building. The soprano's choice of outfit was definitely getting some serious attention, from both the girls and boys of the school in equal measure.

Mercedes could see the boy preening under the attention and felt the need to prick the inflating ego before the brunette got stuck in a doorway.

"Hey now catwalk-queen remember who you're wearing that outfit for..."

Kurt just raised an eyebrow at the girl before replying,

"Nothing wrong with appreciating admiring glances..." he said as he winked at a football player who he'd caught checking him out.

Realising he was being led in the opposite direction from his locker he looked at Mercedes quizzically,

"Uh... 'cedes... my locker is that way?" he said pointing back over his shoulder. The girl kept her course true however as Kurt realised that they were heading towards the Choir Room which would be empty this time of morning.

"Just trust me Kurt, you have a prior appointment."

Mercedes led Kurt into the empty room ensuring that he kept his back to the door as they made their way to the far side. Just as he was about to complain about missing first period to stand facing a wall, Kurt picked up on footsteps coming down the hall and the sound of further people entering the room.

"Uh... hey..." said a tentative voice.

Kurt froze and looked to Mercedes panicked and also confused by the slack-jawed expression on her face.

Steeling himself for the inevitable confrontation that his friend had obviously had a hand in orchestrating he turned around.

* * *

Quinn kept hold of Noah's arm a lot longer than he expected her too after they entered the building.

"Hey, I just wanna grab..."

His objections were cut off mid stream as Q continued to drag him past his locker while he looked at the girl in confusion.

"Uh... where are we going?" he asked in apprehension.

The girl kept her eyes fixed forward and her grip on Noah's arm vice-like as she answered,

"We're going to the Choir Room. You have a prior appointment."

As they headed down the hallway Noah could hear muffled voices from the room and a feeling of impending doom suffused him.

_'Oh Hell... she's set me up...'_

As Q practically dragged the boy into the Choir Room, he took in the sight of the soprano standing with his back to him in an absolutely sinful pair of black jeans.

His confidence was bolstered however by the awed expression on Aretha's face as she took in his appearance.

""Uh... hey..." he said in a tentative voice.

He watched as the smaller boy's shoulders tensed in recognition and he could see him glancing to Mercedes, most likely in accusation.

_'This isn't going to work... this is going to go wrong'_

His traitorous thoughts evaporated the exact moment the boy turned to face him.

* * *

"Holy Shit..." the both exclaimed at exactly the same time, each bringing the other up short.

"What are you wearing?" Again they each asked the same question at the same time and shared a smirk between them before realising who it was they were speaking to.

Nodding to the soprano Noah gave the smaller boy leave to go first.

Clearing his throat Kurt posed the question,

"Uh... hey..."

Noah ran his hand through his mohawk, the action causing his shirt to ride up exposing more of his abs to the brunette.

A small squeak escaped the boy and was all the indication that Mercedes needed to know that the boy had been affected as she snickered quietly.

"You broke up with me Noah... by _text..._" the tone wasn't accusatory or angry but Noah still flinched as the words slapped him in the face.

"Uh... yeah, I did... sorry?" he offered and shrank back in fear as all three of the other occupants glared at him. He winced too as Q took the opportunity to smack him on the arm given she was close enough to do so.

"I only have one... one question Noah. Why?"

The heartfelt plea from the boy was enough to cause Noah to curse his Mother and declare there and then that he'd do everything in his power to ensure his Mother could never hold this kind of influence over him ever again.

"I... uh... I screwed up..." he stated, collecting his thoughts as Kurt simply stood waiting with his arms crossed defensively.

"My... uh... Santana told my Mom... about us..." The boy's eyes widened comically and Noah had to fight back the urge to snicker at the boy's dumbstruck expression.

"She... she flew back from Utah to 'set me straight'..." he said making quotes in the air with his fingers, "... and she gave me a choice."

"She gave you an ultimatum Noah... not a choice..." pitched in Quinn who had remained silent up until that point.

"Yeah... I suppose she did..." agreed Noah, "... I had to break up with you... or I would be shipped off to live in Utah til I turned 18."

The pain on the brunette's face was agony for the football player who more than anything wanted to simply surge forward and embrace the boy and never let go.

"Q tried to help... to defend me... but she went into labour... and then Mom got me alone and worked me over... I... there's no apology strong enough I can make to you Kurt... I was an asshole... I panicked and I reacted badly."

Gesturing to the silent Q watching on with baited breath and tears in her eyes he said,

"Q thinks I use Puck as a defence mechanism when I get scared... and _God_ I was scared y'know? Mom... she threatened to stop me from seeing my little sister again if I defied her. It might sound corny but I _love_ my sister Kurt... I... I couldn't go on without being able to see her..."

Looking to Kurt, Noah could clearly see the hurt mixing with the compassion on the brunette's face and knew in that instant that he'd never do anything again that would cause the boy pain.

"I... I don't know how to say I'm sorry without it sounding trite. Q... Q made me see that I didn't want to do what I did... that I reacted out of fear and I'm sorry if I hurt you... I'm sorry Princess..."

Noah couldn't stop the overwhelming tide of emotions that his speech had invoked as his throat closed painfully tight and a single tear broke from his lashes to streak down his cheek.

He bowed his head unable to look at the soprano any longer as subsequent tears splashed to the floor.

"You hurt me Noah..." Kurt's voice was soft and gentle, so like the boy himself.

"I... uh... I never really understood before how hard this must all be for you... my Dad has always been supportive... I don't know what I'd do without him..."

Kurt paused and cleared his throat before proceeding,

"Your text message hurt me Noah... not because of what it said... but because of what it represented... you didn't _talk_ to me Noah... you made a decision out of fear and without consideration to me... that hurts more than any words you may have used..."

Noah could feel his stomach dropping further and further the longer Kurt talked without any sign of forgiveness. He felt woozy and light-headed and realised he'd been holding his breath, letting it escape in a large gasp.

"I said to you on the porch... I could forgive you your past sins... I uh... I think... I can forgive one more..."

Noah's head snapped up to meet the gaze of the brunette's and he gasped at the emotion contained therein.

"Noah..." moaned Kurt almost as though the separation between them was physically painful. Before the echo of the word had died in the air, the jock had closed the distance between them and had crushed the smaller boy against his chest, pressing a kiss to his lips in hungry desperation as fireworks lit up behind each boy's eyes.

Kurt clutched at Noah's shoulders as he deepened the kiss and relished in the feel of being held once again in the taller boy's strong arms. He could feel Noah trying desperately to convey his apology in his kiss and he welcomed him completely once again.

The sound of weeping brought both boys out of their own little world as each looked to their best friends to see them huddled together by the piano sharing out the contents of a packet of tissues.

Noah slipped behind the smaller boy, threading his arms around Kurt's waist as he propped his head on the brunette's shoulder.

"Guys..." he offered, chuckling slightly as he felt Kurt shiver at the breath being blown past his ear as he spoke, "... I just... thank you... both... anything... absolutely anything I can do for you... just name it."

Mercedes broke the mood with her trademark smart-ass comments,

"Just wear those pants again white-boy and I'll be happy... hot damn!" she said fanning herself with her tissue while both Quinn and Kurt giggled.

"You got it doll face..." said Noah affecting a truly terrible Jimmy Cagney voice.

His reward was the amused giggle however from the brunette in his arms.

Clearing her throat as she wiped at her eyes Quinn decided she'd need to broach the next topic.

"Well... now that we've sorted that angst out... we need to figure out what we're going to do about your Mom, Noah..."

The boy looked defeated at the mention of his Mom and her ultimatum.

"Now... I've been thinking about it and I think I might have come up with a plan..."

Both boys and Mercedes looked at the blonde in curiosity,

"If you don't want your Mom to know you're still seeing little 'nipple-licious' here..." she said earning a blush from the teen, "... you're going to need a cover story..."

"A beard..." whispered Kurt in comprehension.

"A what? Why do I need to grow a beard?" asked Noah genuinely confused and completely uncertain how facial hair would convince his Mom he was back to being straight.

"Not a beard Noah... a _beard_..." said Kurt as if stressing the word would clear things up any.

"Oh... forgive me a _beard_... What the hell does that mean?" he shrieked, earning a snort from Mercedes and a giggle from Kurt.

"A _beard_ Noah, is a woman used as a cover for a gay man. He pretends he's dating her when really he's not interested in her at all. Usually the _beard_ is a lesbian herself so it's win-win for the couple."

Understanding dawned on Noah at the absolutely brilliant plan that Q had come up with. He could only see one drawback however,

"Uh... Q... not to rain on your parade or anything, but my Mom would see right through you being my beard..."

Nodding as if she'd already considered that Quinn dropped another of her famous bombs, watching in delight as it hit its target dead on.

"Oh... I know that Noah... No I have someone else in mind... someone more deserving of your attentions... someone like... _Santana_?"

The girl's grin was positively feral and matched the blossoming smiles on the faces of Aretha and Kurt.

"That's... that's brilliant Quinn..." gasped Kurt.

_'Oh this was so not going to end well...' _thought Noah.

Still if it meant that he got to continue to see Kurt he'd do it. He'd do damn near anything to continue to see Kurt. So what if he'd have to pretend to date Santana.. he could do that... he'd done it before, he could do it again.

The foursome heard the bell ring signalling the end of first period and decided now would be a good time to consider getting to class.

* * *

**A/N: Yay! They're back together again! I gave a great deal of thought to how to develop this chapter and I'm absolutely over the moon with how it turned out. I hope you are too.**

**PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW HOW YOU THINK IT TURNED OUT.**


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: Well I'm pleased to say that the power-couple are now together and will stay together until the end of the story. There will still be roadblocks sure, but they'll mow through them together from now on. **

**Thank you all for your kind reviews on the last chapter, I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did. I have to stop getting so emotionally involved, it's hard to type when you can't see the screen for sobbing... XD**

**And to the reviewer who left me a note about my spelling of 'kerb' – I make no apologies for being British. In GB, what you would call a 'curb' is a 'kerb'. I try my best to Americanise my speech patterns but it's inevitable that some things will slip through the net. The inconsistency you pointed out however was correct and I have now amended that, so thank you for your input. Did you actually _like_ the story though? You never said...**

**Oh and Peaches – there is no excuse not to have an account, so get one and leave me a review of your own! I have spoken and so shall it come to pass! LOL**

**WARNING: LIL BIT 'O SLASH IN THIS CHAPTER**

**Chapter 32 – Growing a Beard**

* * *

Just as the group were about to leave the Choir Room a voice caused the group to halt.

"Uh... so how do this whole beard thing work then?"

Noah looked truly confused and if Kurt was completely honest, vaguely sick too. His skin had a definite green tinge to it as if he was picturing something disgusting in his minds eye.

"Noah? Are you OK?"

Noah's head felt like it was stuffed with cotton balls and though he could see Kurt's lips moving he couldn't hear anything over the sound of rushing blood in his ears,

_'God those lips are hot... Wait did I say that out loud?'_

Looking to the soprano he could see the brunette's face alight with a blush and realised with chagrin,

"Yeah... I said that aloud..."

The girl's giggled before closing the Choir Room door over and moving to take up seats in the corner.

"OK boys. Settle down now before you start humping each other's legs..." teased Quinn breaking the boys out of their lustful staring contest.

Moving to sit side by side, a scraping noise split the air, as Kurt dragged his seat to be closer to the football player thereby allowing him to rest his head on the boy's shoulder and to take up the jock's hand in his.

"You guys are so damn sweet you're going to give me diabetes..." joked Mercedes earning her a stuck out tongue from Kurt.

"Don't stick that out there unless you intend to use it Princess..." came Noah's response earning a cheeky grin from the soprano as he looked up into his boyfriend's eyes.

"Oh and what possible use could you have for my tongue Noah?" he challenged.

A clearing throat brought the boys back to Earth as Quinn simply sat there with her arms crossed and a raised eyebrow.

"Do I need to spray you two with cold water?"

Both boys offered the blonde sheepish grins and murmured apologies before she spoke.

"Now we all understand that your relationship has to be kept on the DL?"

Quinn looked to the assembled group and was pleased to see them all nodding in agreement, though Noah looked mutinous as she addressed him again.

"Well... Santana will be reporting back to your Mom if she thinks there's anything she needs to know about right? So I think that the best way to prevent that is to make the girl get invested in a relationship with the boy she's supposed to be spying on."

Kurt picked up the threads of the conversation from there offering his perspective,

"It won't be easy Noah. For either of us, believe me. I'll have to watch you with that psycho every day when you should be with me and you'll probably have to have sex with her to make it believable..."

Kurt shuddered slightly at the thought of hetero sex and turned to the larger boy as the girls took the opportunity to examine the paintwork on the walls,

"Just remember though..." he said running his hand along the outline of little-noah through his pants, "... she may get a free ride, but this belongs to me."

Noah's body betrayed him as his cock attempted to swell in response to the brunette's touch, however all that happened was that the very tight pants became even more restrictive causing the mohawked teen to hiss in discomfort.

The brunette was clearly aware of what he'd done and just giggled before whispering huskily,

"Would you like me to take care of that Noah?..." he said indicating the now very clear outline of the football player's erection, "... maybe put my tongue to good use?"

Noah just groaned as his eyes slipped shut and he cursed the little soprano. His boyfriend's tittering laughter at his discomfort did nothing to lessen his ire.

"Ahem... anyway..." offered Quinn, a light blush staining her cheeks.

"Yes... please carry on..." pleaded Noah still with his eyes shut and desperately trying to stifle the pounding of blood in his veins. No one was quite sure whether he was speaking to Quinn or to Kurt but Quinn was the one to speak,

"You'll have to spend most of your time with Santana, Noah... there's no way to avoid that, the best that we can do is maybe make sure you're part of a group as much as doesn't look suspicious?"

The boy accepted the inevitable and nodded his head.

"I still have the Glee project with Kurt to work on... so we'll get to see each other for that...", the brunette perked up at the reminder and Quinn addressed the soprano.

"You'll still have to be very careful though not to get caught... all it will take is one look, one glance out of place and Noah will be shipped off to Utah for the next year and a half."

Both boys shuddered at the possibility before becoming infused with a steely determination.

"We can do this...", they both chimed at the same time, causing Kurt to look up to Noah and receive a chaste kiss in return.

"Alright then... Noah you know what you have to do... and you know you can't screw it up."

Though the jock looked apprehensive his eyes spoke of his determination as he nodded.

Mercedes linked arms with Quinn and took the opportunity to speak up,

"We'll uh... just leave you two alone for a few minutes... it's already half-way to lunch now."

"_Oh!_ That reminds me...", cried Kurt, "... my Dad is here seeing Figgins about my baby and he'd like to take us for lunch."

"Sounds good to me..." said Mercedes having lunched with Burt Hummel in the past.

"Yeah sure why not..." said Quinn.

There was silence from the jock whoever who had frozen on the spot,

"Noah?"

Kurt's voice was small and unsure of itself causing the taller boy to shake himself from his fear.

"Your Dad _scares_ me Kurt... but I'm in..." he said placing a kiss on the tip of the boy's nose and earning himself a gross eyed glare in return.

"My Dad is not scary..." he defended, before glaring at the assembled room as they all snorted.

"Kurt... your Dad is like, totally scary..." said Mercedes while Noah nodded in agreement.

Quinn however had a thoughtful expression on her face before the look disappeared and she replied,

"I agree... totally scary...", though she didn't appear to be listening entirely to the conversation.

The brunette huffed as he crossed his arms as the jock cleared his throat,

"Right... I know what I have to do... and what I want to do but can't be seen to be doing..." said Noah leering at the brunette.

The group giggled as they collected up their stuff and headed out to meet Burt, the atmosphere decidedly lighter as Noah and Kurt dropped hands and split apart.

Noah couldn't resist the urge to take one final squeeze of the soprano's butt as the door closed behind them, earning a squeak from the smaller boy.

"It just looked so round and inviting... I'm good now though..." he defended as the group laughed at Kurt's expression and made their way down the hallway.

* * *

Whilst the conference was taking place in the Choir Room, another more heated conference was taking place in the Principal's office.

"I'm sorry Mr Hummel... budget cuts..." said Figgins, expecting that those two words could expunge his abject failure to adequately protect his students.

Burt simply growled at the man as the Principal recoiled slightly and reached into his desk to draw out his calculator,

"To keep cameras running on the parking lot costs $8000 a year..." he said as he tapped furiously on the gadget, afraid to look at the fuming parent, "...It was that or drop the Cheerios tanning budget. And the Cheerios are on national television... the only way the footage from the cameras could bring exposure to the school would be on America's Most Wanted... I'm sorry Mr Hummel... there's nothing I can do..."

Burt couldn't believe what he was hearing but realised that without footage from security cameras or actual flesh and blood witnesses, of which the police had found zero thus far, the hoodlums who'd destroyed his son's car would get away with their cowardly act 'scot free'.

Standing up and slamming his fists down on the table, Burt simply stared at the terrified paper-pusher before growling in a low voice,

"If my son is called names or assaulted; if he has even as much as a pencil taken from him or destroyed or defaced in any way; I will bring a lawsuit down on this school and on you personally so fast you're head will spin."

Seeing that his point had been made, and quite effectively given that the bureaucrat was now sweating copiously, Burt swept from the room without a backwards glance, passing Sue in the hallway on her way in to see Figgins.

"Well if it isn't Burt Hummel - getting balder and more redneck every time I see ya. How's the Gay Kid, I hear he was in the hospital?"

Burt and Sue had a relationship that went back many years to when the man had been on his Junior College Football Team,

"Sugar-tits...", Burt smirked as his acknowledging jibe hit home and Sue growled at him in recognition of the nickname she'd tried to forget from all those years ago, "... _Kurt_ is fine thanks. He spent a day and a half in hospital but he's been released now."

"Uh-huh...so what brings you to my little slice of administrative Hell?" she asked chewing noisily on a stick of gum.

Hooking his thumb in the direction of the Principal's office, Burt replied,

"Just threatening a lawsuit, the usual."

Sue simply smirked at the thought of just how more pliable Figgins would be after the threat from the other man.

"OK well good I suppose, I didn't really care to be honest. Now I'm bored with this conversation and I need to go negotiate an increase to my budget... oh and a pig farmer in Little Rock called who wants his outfit back...", and with a smirk, Sue was gone.

Rolling his eyes at the Coach as the door the Figgin's office opened and closed and he heard a panicked yelp from the spineless bureaucrat, a part of Burt hoped Sue would rip the man a new one just for his own amusement.

Checking his watch he saw that his meeting had taken longer than he'd thought and he rushed off in the direction of the front entrance, hoping that Kurt and his friends hadn't been waiting too long.

Exiting the building he saw a group of four kids sitting by the fountain. Spotting the mop of brunette hair that signified his son, he was a little surprised to see that Kurt and the boy Noah were sitting practically as far away from each other as they could.

Just as he was approaching the group, Burt watched as Noah stood and disengaged, crossing the quad to speak with a cheerleader who had stopped in the doorway to the Gym.

_'Must be a friend of his...'_

"Hey Mr H!" called Mercedes being the first of the group to spot his approach,

"Mercedes, Quinn, nice to see you again..." he said nodding to the pair who smiled back,

"Hey son..." he said as he winked at the brunette and received a growl when he ruffled his hair. The girls however just giggled at the byplay as Kurt dug into his bag for his compact.

Having fixed his hair, an unspoken conversation seemed to take place between Father and Son as Burt raised his eyebrow at the unexpected seating configuration and the fact that Noah was chatting up a Cheerleader not thirty feet away.

A return glare from the brunette was sufficient for Burt to realise that it was a sore subject and not to touch it if he knew what was good for him.

Clearing his throat he focused back on the group as a whole,

"So who wants Texas Roadhouse?"

Receiving an acknowledging cheer from the assembled teens and from a couple of wise-ass jocks who had happened to be walking past, Burt watched as Noah silently tagged onto the end of the group as they all piled into the back of the SUV he had brought with him from the garage. The smile on the boy's face seemed to be false to the older man as he realised,

_'Something's not right between them..'_

Taking his son's glare to heart however he decided not to press the issue. He'd just be prepared to rip the jock limb from limb as soon as Kurt decided it was necessary.

As the group belted in and waited for Burt to move off, the older man shrugged at a raised eyebrow from Kurt at their mode of transport as he sheepishly answered,

"It's belongs to Mario from the pizza place over on Sycamore... he brought it in for me to look at the engine... I needed to test drive it and it'll be back before dinner so who's to know?..."

The group laughed realising that Mario had no idea that Burt had commandeered his vehicle for the afternoon as they peeled out of the parking lot.

* * *

As the group were sitting with their backs to the fountain waiting for Mr Hummel to come meet them for lunch, Noah spotted the silhouette of everyone's favourite psycho watching him from a side entrance.

Speaking quietly so his voice wouldn't carry he nudged Quinn,

"Santana's watching me... watching us... I'm going to go try to speak to her..."

The blonde pretended to laugh at something particularly funny as she whispered back to him,

"Go... and be convincing Noah. You get one shot at this."

Nodding grimly, Noah stood and crossed the quad just as Mr Hummel exited the building greeting the group.

_'If he thinks this is real he could kill me...'_

The observing Latina clearly wasn't expecting to have been spotted, or to have Noah cross the quad to confront her. Straightening up to her full height she flicked her ponytail over her shoulder and set her stance expecting an argument.

She was completely thrown therefore by the contrite football player who stopped in front of her and by the outfit he was wearing which left absolutely nothing to the imagination.

"Uh... hey Santana... uh... listen... I spoke with my Mom and she... she suggested that I apologise to you... so here I am..."

The girl smirked at the boy's bumbling apology not having any clue that it was entirely an act.

"I'm glad you came to your senses Puck. Your Mom let me know that you'd accepted her offer..."

Inside Noah was screaming at the girl that she was wrong; that his Mom was wrong and that he'd never concede; however his expression never changed from it's apologetic grimace.

"Uh... yeah about that... see my Mom maybe mentioned that you... you might consider that is... taking me back?"

Noah looked down and scuffed the toe of his foot on the floor as he struck the most dejected pose he could.

"Oh Puck! Sweet, stupid, idiot Puck!"

The urge to smack the girl was rising and Noah was trying desperately not to give into the urge to wipe the smirk off her face.

"I know you've had your _problems_ lately sweetie, but I'm a good enough person to want to help you. I hitched my wagon to yours a long time ago Puck, so yes... I will take you back."

Noah smiled a genuine smile filled with relief and hope that didn't look out of place at all to the Latina.

"I have to ask though, why are you still hanging around with Hummel?"

Noah had been preparing for that question ever since the Choir Room earlier and the response just tripped off his tongue,

"Glee remember? I have to work with Hummel..." he said as part of him died inside at being unable to call him Kurt, "... so I have to see him to talk about music and choreography and shit..."

The girl nodded in acceptance of the fabricated excuse and Noah felt sick to his stomach. Realising he had to get away from the toxic Latina, Noah stumbled through his goodbye, such was his rush,

"Uh... OK then... well I have to go now, Glee stuff y'know..."

"OK... sext me later though. And remember, no G-A-Y stuff or else...", she said spelling the offending word out as if to just say it would leave a bitter taste in her mouth, "...Utah is only a single flight away...", she reminded the jock in a sing-song voice.

Forever grateful that the impending departure of the group meant that he didn't have to kiss or even touch Santana right now, as he was liable to throttle the girl if he did, Noah jogged over to tag onto the back of the line climbing into the SUV.

With a quick glance at Quinn and a nod of affirmation, Noah tuned back into the conversation between Kurt and his Dad in the front seat. The laughter that bubbled from him a moment later was tinged slightly by the fact he felt like he needed a shower.

* * *

The afternoon which the group had spent with Mr Hummel had proven to be immense fun.

At first the atmosphere between his Dad and Noah had troubled Kurt but mid-way through the journey to Texas Roadhouse, the pair had managed to bond slightly over their love of steak.

And by the time the SUV pulled into the parking lot, the pair had shaken hands on the rules to a steak eating contest.

Kurt had simply rolled his eyes at the men and their need to take part in silly territorial squabbles,

"Relax Dad... Noah's not going to thump me over the head and drag me off to his cave anytime soon."

His Dad just glared good naturedly at his spoilsport of a son as the females in the group giggled.

_'Dragging me off to a cave does sound like fun though...' _Kurt admitted with a blush.

The group had procured a large circular table for them to sit at which usually sat eight, however with the application of a $20 bill to the Maitre 'd, they'd gotten the extra space they wanted.

Burt had announced that lunch was on him, to a round of grateful applause from the teens as the older man had told the group to order whatever they liked.

They had all sat and talked and laughed over lunch and the atmosphere was relaxed. 'Burt and Noah's Steak Challenge' as 'cedes had christened it, had resulted in a resounding win for the older man when Noah realised he couldn't exactly unlace his pants like Burt could unhitch his belt.

The football player had sulked somewhat for the following twenty minutes, cursing his luck to be offered as much steak as he could eat and not be able to consume it.

The main courses had been cleared away and the group had moved on to dessert when Kurt decided he'd try to soothe the football player's bruised ego.

Thankfully for the soprano, Burt was engaged in deep conversation with both Mercedes and Quinn about proper engine management and so nobody noticed when he 'accidentally' dropped his fork and disappeared under the table.

Everyone but Noah that is, whose grip on his own fork increased markedly at the unmistakeable sensation of fingertips ghosting over the outline of his cock.

Noah groaned aloud at the sensation, inadvertently drawing the attention of the trio across the table from their discussion. Hurriedly trying to cover for his slip he dug into his dessert before offering,

"Good cheesecake..."

Thankfully to Noah's great relief, the trio bought his cover and went back to their conversation.

Noah could feel the fingertips nimbly untying his pants and could feel his cock starting to grow turgid in anticipation of what was to come.

"Say... where's Kurt?" asked Burt.

Noah took a second to realise that Burt had obviously addressed him and was now looking at him strangely as the football player sat there with a forkful of cheesecake halfway to his mouth and his eyes half-lidded.

"Uh... bathroom I think..." he stammered as he felt a small hand reach into his pants to wrap around his manhood and squeeze, "... yeah... bathroom...", he couldn't control the slightly high-pitched tone to his voice.

The small hand had now withdrawn his length from his pants and he could feel the hot breath of the brunette who was obviously just millimetres away from his skin.

"So Noah, who was the cheerleader I saw you talking to earlier?" asked Burt, as he turned to face him, steepling his hands in front of him.

Noah's bit his tongue before answering as he felt a moist wet heat surround the head of his cock,

_'Oh God he's going to know... and he's going to kill me... but it'll be so worth it...'_

"Uh... Santana? She's in Glee... with us... she sings... yeah..."

Noah stifled another groan as Kurt increased his suction. The tight leather pants meant that the brunette could only free a third of Noah's cock from it's confinement and so he was working flat out, on what he could access in order to bring the boy off as quick as he could.

"Good, good. Say you all have projects due for this Glee club in a couple weeks don't you?" said Burt, thankfully addressing the group again as Noah did not know how much longer he could stay coherent.

The pressure in his balls was building as the brunette's bobbing motion continued like a piston and Noah was aware of Mercedes and Quinn talking to Burt about their respective Glee projects when he felt the end coming.

Thumping his fist on the table he let out a strangled moan as he felt his cock twitch and disgorge rope after rope of cum into the brunette's mouth,

"Oh God!"

The group all stared at the boy in concern before he blushed,

"I... uh... I love that song..." he stammered hoping desperately that they'd buy his ruse.

"Really Noah? I didn't figure you for a Miley Cyrus fan..." said Quinn in surprise.

Noah could feel the ripples of his explosion lessening now as the mouth on his cock licked up the final traces of his discharge and the nimble fingers of the brunette popped his now rapidly wilting appendage back into his pants and re-tied them.

"Oh yeah... big fan..." he wheezed.

Noah's face was flushed and he was breathing like he'd just run a marathon, but there was nothing really that he could do about it.

"Well, I suppose I'll take care of the check. Don't go anywhere however I have one more surprise for Kurt before we leave." said Burt before he rose from the table and headed off in search of the Maitre 'd and the bill.

As he got out of earshot, Noah let his head sink to the table with a muffled thud.

"You can come out now Kurt." said Mercedes as she and Quinn shared a knowing grin.

Noah just groaned in mortification as the brunette clambered back out from under the table wiping at the corner of his mouth with a napkin. He hadn't bothered to retrieve his fork after all.

"What? I had a salad for lunch... I needed my protein for the day is all..." said Kurt without a hint of embarrassment.

"Just... just kill me now..." pleaded the football player from his vantage point staring at the table cloth, as the trio all giggled at him.

* * *

Noah had been able to get his breathing back under control by the time that Burt had returned from settling the bill.

Standing up to leave he looked quizzically at the girls sitting opposite who were staring at his waist and stifling their laughter.

Looking down he groaned and then shot a glare at the brunette, who was sitting sniggering into his hand. Obviously when he'd been re-tying the football player's pants, Kurt had decided to tie the strings into a pretty bow.

"I _will_ kill you y'know..." he growled at the brunette. There was no way to be a badass with his pants tied in a bow.

Kurt just blew the boy a kiss as he rose from the table and went to meet his Dad who was motioning for him to join him at the exit.

Considering whether he'd be charged under public indecency laws if he re-laced his pants in the middle of the crowded restaurant, Noah was startled when each of his arms was occupied by the two girls, who took the decision out of his hands and dragged him towards the exit.

"OK... now Kurt... I have a little surprise for you. I want you to close your eyes and keep them closed." said Burt grinning like Christmas had come early.

Kurt just looked at his Father in disbelief before rolling his eyes and placing his hands over his eyelids.

"No peeking!", Burt admonished the brunette, earning a giggle from the girl behind the register.

Placing his hand on Kurt's shoulder Burt guided the boy out to the parking lot with the rest of the group trailing in his wake.

Noah was the first to realise what was going on as he muttered,

"No way..." as a genuine grin of happiness for the brunette split his face.

"Oh my GAWD!" crowed Mercedes, who was shushed by a glare from Burt in fear of her spoiling the surprise.

Bringing the smaller boy to a stop, Burt stood beside his son and announced,

"OK... open your eyes."

Kurt gasped at the sight before him. Sitting parked right next to Mario's SUV was the most beautiful car he'd ever set his eyes on.

Watery eyes looked to his Dad for confirmation and his heart leapt when the older man simply nodded to him and pressed a key into his hand causing the car to chirp inadvertently.

"It's a Chevy Corvette... I know it doesn't have as much room as the Navigator..." said Burt looking apprehensive.

"Dad... it's gorgeous... but it's so expensive too..." said Kurt unable to take his eyes off the gleaming silver paintwork.

His Dad looked ecstatic that his son appreciated the gift,

"I know it's a little more pricey than the Navigator, but I was planning to get you an upgrade for graduation and with the insurance money, it meant that I could do it now. So do you really like it?"

The man's answer came in the form of a girlish squeal just microseconds before a brunette blur collided with his chest and wrapped it's arms around him.

Returning the embrace he placed a kiss on the top of his son's head as he let the boy ride out the sobs of happiness.

"I love you Dad..." came a muffled voice from his chest.

"I love you too Kurt."

* * *

**A/N: Awww... slash and fluff... can't beat it.**

**This chapter now takes WYW over 130,000 words. Thank you all for your continued support and here's hoping for many more chapters to come.**

**I had a request a while back for Noah to receive a blowjob in a public place. The venue mentioned was either a hallway or the Choir Room. Whilst I didn't feel I could use either of those options, I hope this choice was satisfactory XD  
**

**I hope that the past two more upbeat chapters are edging those of you who were in danger, away from the cliff's edge...LOL**

**PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK**


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: Some concern was received that I'd be cruel enough to murder yet another baby during the course of this story. Let me say this... *affects a Richard Nixon voice* "I am not a baby serial killer..."**

**Inspiration for the location in this chapter came from a photo I found of Pike Lake, OH (I try to source inspiration from as close to the real Lima, OH as possible even though I'm in Scotland myself.) Full credit goes to Google Earth which assisted me greatly.**

**WARNING: There are brief het sexual situations in this chapter, but nowhere near graphic, hopefully though you might feel queasy you won't actually hurl. XD**

**Chapter 33 – Oasis of Calm**

* * *

Once Kurt had calmed down and the tears had dried up he had taken to exploring the Corvette,

"So what are you going to call her?", asked Mercedes.

The brunette stopped rooting around in the glove box to consider the question. He took a moment to just sit in the driver's seat and feel the wheel under his hands.

"Lola... her name is Lola.", he decided with a definite nod.

"Lola? Why Lola?", Noah understood why Kurt wanted to name his car, after all he had his Princess... well he did. He supposed that now that Kurt was his Princess, he probably should think about renaming his truck.

"Because Noah..." said Kurt in a tone that seemed to suggest the football player should already know the answer, "... Lola was a showgirl... and my new baby is _definitely_ a showgirl."

Mercedes giggled as the brunette stroked the wheel before placing a kiss on the dash as he climbed out.

"Hey... where's Q?" asked Noah looking around for the wayward blonde.

"Right here..." she offered coming around the back of the SUV with Burt following close behind.

_'OK... there's a creepy thought... I hope they weren't like making out or something...'_

Noah shivered at the image in his head of Q and Kurt's Dad in a passionate clinch and could feel a little bit of vomit just at the back of his mouth.

Looking at Burt you'd never have noticed the silent fury he was trying to hide, unless you were Kurt and knew what to look for. Thankfully for Burt however Kurt was completely enamoured with Lola and wasn't paying attention to his Dad's emotional state.

"Thank you for my present Daddy... I love it _so_ much..." Kurt always regressed to a little child when he was super excited, as evidenced by his childlike tone and the use of the word 'Daddy'.

Burt stood by the hood with his arms crossed over his chest before replying,

"You're welcome son."

Burt's tone was strained but he was working hard to keep his expression cheerful.

"Noah... Noah you have to ride home with me... it'll be so cool... c'mon..." said the hyper teen as he grabbed the jock's hand and tugged him towards the car.

"OK Kurt... jeez... switch to decaf already..." he chuckled earning himself a pout from the soprano.

"Don't be such a killjoy Noah...Guys... we'll see you tomorrow?... Dad I'll see you at home?..." asked Kurt as Noah climbed into the passenger seat.

Mercedes was the one to answer while Quinn and Burt simply nodded,

"Count on it boo, I want to see the school's reaction when you pull up in _Lola!_"

The girl cackled as she imagined the look on the other students faces when the gorgeous sportscar arrived in the morning.

"I'll give the girls a ride home Kurt but... uh, I might be a little late back kiddo, I have an errand to run..."

Kurt nodded at his Dad, his eyes still shining with gratitude at the overwhelming gift the man had arranged for him.

"OK... everyone ready?", he asked putting the key in the ignition.

Mercedes and Quinn cheered as Kurt turned the key and the engine sparked to life with a deep growl.

"_Ooh..._ my baby has teeth...", Kurt giggled.

Fiddling with the stereo Kurt found a station playing AC/DC and so with 'Highway to Hell' blaring from the speakers, noting Noah's head nodding along to the beat, he floored it and Lola peeled out of the parking lot with a squeal of tires.

As the remaining trio watched as Kurt manoeuvred the Corvette onto the Highway and disappeared into the distance, Mercedes placed her hand on Burt's arm,

"That was a really nice thing you did Mr H."

"Thanks Mercedes...", he said still staring off into the distance.

Shaking his head as if to clear it, he noted the pair standing beside him and said,

"Now... how about we get you kids home?..."

* * *

Kurt and Noah didn't head straight to the Hummel house, instead Kurt noting he had a full tank of gas decided to see exactly what Lola could do.

Exiting onto the Highway proper, Kurt put his foot down and opened up the Chevy to test it's limits.

"Woooohooooo..." , cried the soprano as the silver sportscar streaked along the Highway.

Noah was not usually a nervous passenger but suddenly finding himself travelling at 200kph and to not be in control of the car himself spooked him more than he ever expected it would.

His knuckles were white as he gripped the dash board and closed his eyes muttering,

"We're going to to die, we're going to die, we're going to..."

"Noah?..."

The jock's stomach lurched as the car decelerated rapidly and all of a sudden Noah received the telltale warning signs that he was about to lose his lunch,

"Pull over..." he groaned desperately fighting the growing sensation in the pit of his stomach.

Thankfully for the interior of the 'vette, Kurt took the plea seriously and with a look of concern for his green tinged boyfriend brought the car to a stop at the side of the road.

No sooner had the tyres stopped spinning than Kurt found Noah was out of his seat and crouched at the edge of the road, heaving up what little steak and cheesecake he'd been able to eat that afternoon.

Just as Kurt was about to go to his boyfriend's aid, he heard a vibrating coming from the passenger side of the dash.

Reaching over he retrieved Noah's replacement cell, snorting as he realised it had obviously been supplied by Quinn given that it was bright pink and studded with rhinestones. Checking the screen, he saw there was a text message waiting. Pressing the button, the screen burst to life as he read the communiqué, before the colour drained from his face and the gadget slipped from his unresisting fingers coming to rest in the driver's foot well.

It was this strange scene that Noah found after he'd finished purging his stomach and eating half a packet of breath mints, as he returned to the car looking slightly dishevelled for his experience.

Kurt was sitting in the driver's seat, his back ramrod straight and with his knuckles gripping the steering wheel so tight the jock was surprised that he hadn't snapped it in two.

Clearing his throat which was now scratchy and hoarse he nudged the boy slightly as he climbed back into the passenger seat.

"Hey... are you OK?" he asked picking up a bottle of water and rinsing out his mouth, before popping the other half of the packet of mints into his mouth, crunching noisily.

Noah thought it ironic that he had been the one throwing up by the side of the road and yet Kurt appeared to be the one who was most freaked out by it. Kurt didn't turn to the boy or even acknowledge his presence when he replied in a monotone voice,

"Santana sent you a message."

Noah blanched realising now the reason for the smaller boy's upset.

"Oh?"

"OH? Is that all you have to say? Noah she wants you to sext her back with suggestions on what you'll do to her tonight! She sent a picture..."

The soprano was clearly upset as he shuddered at the memory of the photograph and Noah sympathised. But they had discussed that this would happen, Hell Kurt himself had been the one to point out that the Latina would probably want to sleep with him in short order.

"Kurt... Princess..." Noah tried to soothe the smaller boy,

"Don't Princess me Noah... just... just don't..." Kurt grabbed the door handle and exited the car in a flurry of movement leaving the jock unsure whether to follow.

He watched the brunette in the mirror as he walked to the back of the car and simply leant against it with his face pointed to the heavens. Popping his own door Noah got out.

Their impromptu road trip had taken them up past Lima proper and they were currently on a back road quite close to Lima Stadium. There was no traffic on the road and other than the noise from the Highway a little ways back there was no sound. The tall trees either side of the road served to afford them some measure of privacy.

Noah didn't approach the smaller boy at first, simply gauging whether it would be safe to do so or not. He could see that Kurt was tense and that from his balled up fists he was most likely very angry too.

Noah could appreciate that, he wasn't happy with the situation they found themselves in any more than he was. Finally as Kurt dropped his head to his chest with a sigh, Noah moved up beside him.

Still not touching, Noah leaned against the trunk alongside the boy, just letting his shoulder brush his boyfriend in support.

"I'm sorry Noah..." came the small voice.

"It's OK." he replied, no further words being required.

"I just... the thought... eugh!" he cried throwing his arms up in exasperation.

Noah paused for a second, allowing the soprano time to settle down again before replying,

"I know... I don't like it anymore than you do... but there's no other way..."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it..." grumbled the soprano who was now getting over his initial anger and feeling embarrassment instead.

"I hope you never do... if you did I'll have your Dad commit you before you can blink..." said Noah hoping to lighten the mood slightly.

The watery chuckle roused from the soprano was music to Noah's ears.

Lacing his fingers through the soprano's he tugged him to him and wrapped him up secure in his embrace, running his fingers through the boy's hair soothingly.

"Watch the hair..." came the muffled warning from the soprano against his chest causing the larger boy to let out a rumbling chuckle.

"Yes Princess..."

They stood there for a long time, Kurt wrapped up inside the protective cocoon of Noah's arms. Neither spoke as they simply mourned what would have to be and relished what they could get.

"Noah?", Kurt's small voice penetrated the silence once again.

"Yes Princess?"

"You won't leave me will you? I'm scared."

The uncertainty and the sorrow in the brunette's voice tore at Noah's heart as he once again cursed his Mother and his traitorous...

_'Girlfriend I suppose... never thought that word would turn me off so much til now...'_

"I promise you Kurt Hummel. I will be with you for as long as you'll have me... you have my word."

_'I love you.'_

Raising the smaller boy's face to meet his own, Noah placed a gentle kiss on the boy's lips, not demanding that the kiss be deepened. It was simply an affirmation to the soprano of the feelings the jock held for his boyfriend.

As the pair broke apart Noah came to a decision.

"Give me the keys..." he said, pleasantly surprised when Kurt simply handed them over without a fight.

Leading the boy by the hand round to the passenger side, he helped him in and shut the door behind him before rounding the hood and hopping into the driver's seat, adjusting the seat which was set to accommodate his boyfriend's leg length.

Groaning in relief as he found the seat release and the frame hopped backwards Noah tried to lighten the sombre mood again,

"God Princess... you really are a midget...", cracking a grin at the boy to let him know he wasn't being serious.

The huff and slight twitching of the brunette's lips let him know his gambit had paid off somewhat.

Retrieving his cell from the floor of the car, Noah checked the text, cringing slightly at the provocative picture the Latina had sent him,

_'That's not a dildo... it's a fucking baseball bat...',_

as he considered his response to the girl.

Having discarded his initial response of 'shove it up your ass', which he reckoned wouldn't be well received; at least not right away; Noah let muscle memory guide him as he tapped out a suitable response to the girl without giving it any conscious thought.

Kurt had simply watched his boyfriend's face as he'd responded to Santana. Clearly the jock didn't want to do it and the distaste was clear to see. However when the larger boy's face went slack with his eyes unfocused and his fingers ghosted over the keys, Kurt couldn't help the tinge of fear at the realisation that Noah could sext the girl so easily.

Seemingly satisfied that the message had been delivered without problem, Noah snapped his temporary cell shut before reaching over to shove it in the glove box, sealing it tight.

_'First thing in the morning I'm getting a new handset...'_

Slipping the key into the ignition, Noah threw the car into drive before pulling back out onto the deserted road.

The pair drove in silence for nearly twenty minutes before Kurt's curiosity became too much,

"Noah? Where are we going?"

The jock just glanced at the soprano before smirking enigmatically,

"You'll see..."

They drove for what seemed like hours to the soprano as he squirmed in his seat wondering why his boyfriend was being so secretive all of a sudden.

"Noah..." he whined impatiently.

"Almost there Princess..." said Noah as he chuckled at the pout on the brunette's face.

Pulling the car around another bend, Noah left the road and drove up an old access road, climbing a surprisingly steep hill. Kurt was confused now and looked to the boy quizzically,

"It's the back entrance... don't want anyone seeing us.", he explained.

Kurt was about to lambaste the boy for breaking and entering when the car crested the hill and the boy gaped at the vista laid out before him.

The Lima Country Club had originally intended to develop the small lake into part of their golf course, placing the tee on the shore and the hole on the little island in the middle. However county planning laws had forced them to reconsider their designs for the course and so they'd simply left the little oasis to grow having no real subsequent use for it.

Noah had been coming here for the past couple of years since he'd discovered it after he'd cleaned out the pools one time. On his way out he'd taken a wrong turn and found himself by the water's edge.

It had been just around the time he'd first found himself being attracted to Q and as he'd sat watching the sunset from his truck he'd found peace from his turbulent thoughts for a while.

Since that time he'd been coming back every few weeks, never telling anyone where he went or what he did, as he'd simply sit at the end of the jetty for hours on end, with his feet dangling off the end into the water.

As the car wound it's way down to the lakeside, Kurt turned to Noah seeking an explanation,

"It's part of the Country Club..." he explained as he parked the car up, "... I cleaned their pools out one time... this was going to be part of the golf course but they redesigned it and never did anything with this place after... I uh... I used to come here sometimes just to think..."

Pulling the car up facing out over the water, Noah popped the door before climbing out. Peering back into the car and seeing that Kurt had yet to move he asked,

"Are you coming?"

Noah heard the click of the boy's seatbelt disengaging before the brunette was out of the car and waiting for him like an impatient puppy.

Taking up the boy's hand he led him down to the water's edge and onto the small jetty.

* * *

The pair had sat and talked and watched the sun go down from the end of the jetty, sharing small chaste kisses whilst burnished golds and oranges reflected off the surface of the water.

They hadn't talked much and when they did it was of inconsequential things. Both boys realising that moments of solitude where they could be together without fear of discovery were going to be few and far between.

As Noah had explained how he'd started coming to the lake after school when things with Quinn came to a head and how the peace and quiet were soothing to him, Kurt realised just how much about the football player he was yet to learn.

Deciding that he'd offer up something as equally personal to the other boy Kurt had haltingly explained about his own oasis at the cemetery and how he'd speak to his Mom and how it made him feel like she wasn't completely gone.

Kurt had gotten fairly upset in the telling of his story and Noah hadn't attempted to stem the flow of tears of the smaller boy. He knew that the tears being shed were in part at the memory of the loss of his Mother, however they were also catharsis for the pressures they were currently subjected to.

Noah had simply placed his arm around the smaller boy and offered his presence and silent strength to the boy as he wept for the injustice of it all.

Eventually however, the burnished golds and oranges faded into nothing and the temperature at the water's edge dropped considerably. Noah could feel the chill on his exposed arms, realising that he had no jacket with him to put on.

Examining the brunette he realised that the top he was wearing, whilst deliciously revealing offered even less protection from the cold than his own.

Shuffling slightly, his pants creaking slightly earning a giggle from the soprano, he spoke for the first time in several minutes.

"C'mon... we'd better get back before your Dad gets worried."

Kurt nodded though he didn't want to go, his teeth chattering slightly in response to the cool breeze sweeping in over the lake. Kurt had fought against the numbing cold realising that to leave this place would mean that he'd have to release Noah to the Latina and the thought made him feel sick to his stomach.

Standing Noah offered his hand to the shivering brunette, who took it and eased himself back to his feet, groaning slightly as his stiff muscles protested the action.

Leaning himself into the taller boy's side, Kurt drew comfort from Noah as well as heat on the short walk back up to where Lola waited silently.

The drive back to the Hummel house was sombre as neither boy wanted to acknowledge the elephant in the room.

As Noah pulled into the drive, Kurt noted that his Dad's truck was still gone and for the first time that day he wondered what errand could have taken his Dad the seven hours they'd been gone to complete.

Pushing the thought to the back of his mind for the time being Kurt grabbed the door handle and exited the car.

Standing in the driveway together Noah and Kurt simply stared into each others eyes, mentally exchanging the passionate embrace they knew they couldn't exchange in the too public setting of the street.

Turning and walking away, Noah kept an even pace as he pounded the sidewalk, Kurt simply stood on the drive and watched until the small figure in the distance turned the corner and disappeared.

_'I love you.'_

* * *

Noah felt like a dead man walking as he covered the short distance between the Hummel and Lopez houses.

Arriving out front of the small single story home, Noah steeled himself before crossing the lawn and rapping softly on the door. The object of his revulsion opened the door a moment later, wearing a seductive grin.

"Well hello there stranger...", she said leaning against the door jamb as she twirled her hair in an unconscious parody of Brittany, that Noah couldn't help but pick up on. The girl was dressed in a small slip of a nightie, which in the moonlight shimmered enticingly like liquid.

"Hey..."

_'...Psycho...'_

He tried to sound excited and upbeat as Santana ushered him inside the small house, but the emotions of the day were bearing down on him and he just didn't have the energy.

Thankfully, though Santana noticed his sorrowful expression she decided not to rock the boat any by mentioning it.

Despite everything that had happened, the Latina truly did want to be with Puck and she dreamed of him once again wanting to be with her. Everything she had done had been with that end goal in mind.

Santana was well aware of Lilith's threat to move Noah to Utah and though she'd already used it herself as a way of keeping the boy in line, it was not an outcome she ever truly wanted to come to pass. It would take the boy out of her own reach after all.

"I... took your advice earlier... your text got me nice and wet...", her voice was low and seductive and under normal circumstances Noah would have been all over her within seconds.

"I'm... uh glad..." said Noah, clearly not completely with it yet.

The boy flinched when Santana reached out and took his hand,

"God Puck... you're absolutely freezing."

The true concern in the girl's tone and in her face belied the scheming mind and for a moment Noah forgot all about why he was supposed to hate the Latina.

"C'mon the house is empty tonight, let's get you out of those clothes and into a warm bath... I'll even join you if you like."

Noah allowed himself to be led unresisting into the bathroom as he sat heavily on the toilet and tried to control his until now unnoticed shivering. He could hear the sound of running water and could feel the heat of the steam as it swirled around him.

"Puck honey... you have to work with me here."

Santana's utterance was enough to snap Noah out of his daze as he realised the girl had been trying to slip his top off but with his arms wrapped around his torso had been unable to do so.

Releasing his grip on himself, Noah raised his arms and the girl pulled the top off over his head in one smooth motion.

Raising his head, Noah found he was at the exact eye level required to catch a glimpse of the Latina's chest and he spotted the outline of the girl's pebbled nipples against the satin material of her nightdress.

_'You need to play the part Noah...', _warned his Q voice as he snapped into motion.

Raising his hands, he ran them up the girl's sides, over her shoulders and up to tangle in her hair. Hating himself for every millisecond of contact he had with the girl, he lowered her head to his before their lips met in a passionate embrace, tongues battling for dominance.

A couple of minutes later, a dazed Santana broke from the make-out session to tend to the bath, throwing in some salts at the last second.

Turning to stand by the bath in full view of the jock, Santana played her trump card. Reaching for the hem of her slip, she pulled it up and off her body in one smooth motion. Noah's mouth went involuntarily dry and little-noah twitched in response to the sight.

Despite everything that had happened with both the girl in front of him and with Kurt, Noah conceded that he was still attracted to women and for all her faults Santana was a damn fine looking woman.

"Like what you see?" she asked holding her arms behind her back and thrusting her chest forward for inspection.

_'Play the part...'_, Q's voice spurred him into action once again.

"Always..." he didn't have to fake the husky sound of arousal in his voice though his mind was rebelling and telling him that what he was doing, what he was about to do was completely wrong.

Standing now, Noah closed the distance between them and pulled the girl into another punishing kiss. Whereas Kurt was a gentle soul, with preference for soft lips and light nips; Santana was all Latin passion and fire and gave as good as she got.

If there was one thing Noah Puckerman was skilled at it was attenuating his sexual responses to his partner's likes and dislikes.

Noah could feel Santana's hands brushing over his chest and down to unlace his pants, freeing his cock and palming it, jerking roughly the way she knew he liked. He couldn't help the groan that escaped him as he was forced to break the kiss, resting his head against the smaller girl's shoulder as his body betrayed him.

"Let's take this into the tub shall we?", the girl said releasing his now turgid member and kneeling in front of him.

Placing one hand on each hip she pulled his tight pants down, with the assistance of some shimmying from the jock; removing them and leaving them piled up by the bathroom door. Placing a single kiss to the head of his cock, the Latina stood and took up Noah's hand.

With a gentle tug in the direction of the tub, the girl stepped in and Noah followed, sighing involuntarily at the welcome heat.

Laying back in the water, his head pillowed on the edge, he felt Santana's hands go back to work as he threw an arm over his eyes and took a deep breath of the steamy air.

_'Shit... Is that Sandalwood?...Kurt... please forgive me...'_

* * *

**A/N: And there we have it. Another chapter in the bag. Hopefully you'll understand the need for the limited het sex at the end of this chapter, I had to spell out Noah's continued attraction to the female form, even if it is Santana and this was pretty much as brief as I could make it but still keep the emotional impact.**

**I hope you like the chapter. I'm now going off to watch Tom Cruise drive a Reasonably Priced Car... If you haven't watched Top Gear, you should!**

**PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK**


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

**A/N: There was once a fanfic writer for Harry Potter I read on a regular basis that used to start author's notes with a list of pet peeves. I am afraid on this occasion I am going to have to do the same.**

**1) I am not ENGLISH... writing in proper English does not mean I have to be from that country. I am SCOTTISH and damn proud of it. I have the accent and I have the kilt with the lack of underwear underneath to prove it.**

**2) Earl Grey Tea is a popular beverage both in the UK and the US. Just because the Yanks have for some reason decided that Tea should be cold and filled with enough sweetener to make your teeth rot, does not mean that there aren't still some people who drink the stuff the way it was meant to be drunk.**

**3) Santana WAS NOT... I repeat, WAS NOT getting herself off with a baseball bat. It was simply a comparison on the relative size of the toy the girl was using. The girl may be slightly unhinged when it comes to Puck but she's not a complete mental patient!**

**Right - rant over. Time to get on with the chapter.**

**Chapter 34 – Limes in Lima**

* * *

Kurt had stood in the drive for several minutes after Noah had disappeared from sight. A part of him didn't want to move in case the jock decided to come sprinting back up the road to sweep him up in his arms and to never let him go.

Eventually however reality sunk in for the soprano and he was left with no alternative but to accept that wherever his boyfriend was at that moment, he was not coming back to him anytime soon. Shoulders drooping in resignation, Kurt trudged across the lawn and up into the house.

All of the lights in the house were off, and Kurt did not feel the need to change that any. Toeing off his shoes, he padded through to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door.

Staring at the contents he contemplated whether to make something to eat considering that he hadn't had anything since his salad at lunch,

_'Well... that and my protein shake...', _he thought with a grin.

Considering the heavy weight in his stomach, Kurt gave up on the idea as he slammed the door shut again. Deciding instead to try to distract himself until it was time to sleep with reruns of Sex and the City on TiVo, Kurt made to head to the den. Passing by the answerphone he saw the little red light blinking, signifying a message on the machine. Pressing the button with his thumb, he heard the tape rewind as his Dad's voice broke the silence sounding slightly manic,

"Hey Kurt... it's uh... it's _7.40?_... jeez I didn't realise it'd be this late... listen, I had to go out of town unexpectedly... I'm in Columbus right now and everything's fine... so don't worry... I'll just... uh I'll be back in the morning 'k... I'm on my cell if you need me... be good..."

Furrowing his brow at the strange message from his Dad, Kurt couldn't help but worry.

_'Is he sick? Is he at a hospital? But if he was sick why wouldn't he tell me?... Unless it's serious... oh no...'_

Thankfully the voice of Finn intruded on the boy's panicfest,

_'Get a grip Kurt... you're overreacting... he's not sick, he was fine at lunch... he probably just doesn't want to drive back in the middle of the night and is staying at a Motel...'_

His introspection was interrupted by a vibrating coming from his pants pocket. Withdrawing his cell he recognised the Caller ID and flipped the phone open.

"Hey Britt...", he answered expecting to hear the blonde girl's voice. He was surprised therefore when the voice of his best friend came from the speaker instead.

"Hey Kurt, you home yet? How was Lola? Is she as much fun to drive as she looked?"

The girl's enthusiasm brought a genuine smile to the boy's face as he padded into the den and collapsed onto the soft couch.

"Lola is great and she goes really fast too. So fast it made Noah car sick."

The soprano chuckled as he heard the guffawing from the girl before she asked,

"He wasn't sick in the car was he?"

Shaking his head though the girl clearly couldn't see him, he answered,

"No. No he made me pull over, but it was a close thing. So what are you doing?"

"Oh I'm over at Britt's house..."

"Well I didn't think you'd just steal her cell for no reason..."

The brunette heard the other end of the line being muffled before the sound of the ditzy blonde's voice piped up,

"Hey Kurt."

Brittany was usually perpetually cheerful however the voice on the other end of the line was devoid of cheer and almost mechanical. Despite his own worries and problems, Kurt felt he had to try to support the girl.

"Hey Britt, how you doing?"

"Oh fine. My Mom made me stay of school until I'd stopped crying... she said something about me being desecrated or desiccated or something..."

"Dehydrated?", he offered.

"Oh yeah... that's it, thanks Kurt!"

Kurt smiled hearing a little life being injected back into the girls' voice,

"So what are you two doing tonight?"

"Oh nothing, just braiding hair and talking about boys. Say you want to talk about boys with us too?"

"Uh... sure?... Actually, my Dad's out of town so if you guys wanted to come over we could have a slumber party..."

Kurt's voice must have sounded needy even to the usually oblivious blonde as she asked,

"I guess Puck is with Sanny tonight? Mercedes told me...", the pain in the girl's voice was raw which was understandable.

Not sure what he was supposed to say to the blonde he answered honestly while scratching the back of his neck,

"Uh... yeah..."

A few seconds of silence passed where Kurt thought that the blonde had maybe placed the cell down and walked away, before a voice, clearly thick with emotion but struggling on regardless announced,

"...'cedes, Kurt wants to do a sleepover while his Dad's out of town and Puck's boning Sanny. You wanna go?..."

The soprano's jaw just dropped open at the girl's frank declaration and he couldn't help the bubbling chuckle that escaped him. Despite how horrible life could be to Brittany she never let it get her down and the simple fact she was willing to try to help him despite her own pain confirmed for the boy just how good a friend he had in the Cheerio.

Mercedes was clearly was worried about the effect that the girl's blunt statement would have on the soprano as he heard the phone being wrestled from the other girl's grasp,

"Hey Kurt... you still there?"

With a slight smile still on his face he replied,

"Yeah 'cedes I'm still here..."

Mercedes voice was curious and she couldn't help but ask,

"You seem pretty OK with this?"

He gave a wry chuckle as he shook his head in the darkness,

"Oh I'm not OK with it 'cedes... not even close... but I accept it."

Hearing the pain in her friend's voice she made a decision,

"Britt sweetie, pack a bag... we're slumming it at the Hummel house..."

Kurt couldn't help smiling at the obviously hyper girl who he could hear cheering in the background.

"Give us half an hour Kurt and we'll be there... and you'd better have ice-cream."

And with that the line went dead and the silence of the den returned. Snapping his cell shut Kurt rolled off the couch, feeling decidedly more chipper for his conversation with the girls.

Wandering through to the entrance hall, Kurt flipped the switch to power on the porch light before wandering down to his basement to get ready.

He had just finished removing all his make-up and cleansing his skin when he heard the doorbell ring and he rose from the vanity.

Answering the door he was surprised to see the sheer volume of stuff that Britt had in her arms. At least he assumed it was Britt seeing as he couldn't see her torso and her head was covered by a massive sombrero.

"Hey Kurt... can you like move before my arms fall off?"

Shaking himself from his shock, Kurt backed out of the doorway allowing the blonde access to the house with 'cedes following behind without comment. He led the group down the basement stairs and settled himself on one of the couches before his curiosity got the better of him.

"Uh... Britt honey... why do you have a giant Winnie the Pooh with you?", he chose not to mention the sombrero just yet.

The girl had just set the five foot tall stuffed animal down on the bed when she turned to answer the boy,

"Well why do you have your nipples on display for just anyone to see?"

The boy blushed realising he was still in his mesh top and that it left little to the imagination,

"Nice abs though, Mercedes was right..." she added.

Clutching at straws before his face could spontaneously combust Kurt gestured to the stuffed animal again,

"The bear Britt?..."

"Oh yeah... watch..."

With a flourish Britt gripped a zipper at the top of the stuffed animal's throat that Kurt had not previously noticed and he gaped as she dragged it down to just past the bear's navel. Instead of stuffing falling out as he had expected, Kurt noted a cavity that had been built into the bear for storage.

Reaching inside up to the elbow, Britt rummaged around inside the stuffed animal and Kurt could hear the telltale clinking of glass.

"Ah...hah!" called out the blonde in triumph, as her arm emerged with a large glass bottle,

"Say hello to my leetle friend..." she cried in what Kurt thought was a reasonable attempt at a Mexican accent.

The pair had obviously planned their routine and choreographed their moves. At the exact moment that realisation dawned on the brunette, as he took in the shape of the bottle and the distinctive branding, music started up from his stereo behind him causing him to jump slightly.

"Oh Hell..." he whispered as he recognised the song and what it would mean for his head in the morning. Mercedes took the opportunity to break out into song her vocals strong and clear as a bell,

_"__Tequila,  
It makes me happy,  
Con Tequila it feels fiiiiine,  
Con Tequila when the doors are opened,  
And con Tequila when they're calling time..."_

Abandoning the lyrics for the verse and grabbing up the brunette's hands, Mercedes tugged him off the couch and onto the carpeted floor to dance. While the pair spun each other round and laughed, they waited until the second chorus when they harmonised in perfect sync,

_"__Tequila,  
It makes me happy,  
Con Tequila it feels fiiiiine,  
Con Tequila when the doors are opened,  
And con Tequila when they're calling time..."_

Having emptied the contents of Pooh Bear's stomach and laid out two bottles of Cuervo, a bag of limes, a shaker of salt, a chopping board and knife and some shot glasses on the bed, Britt danced over to join her friends as they gave themselves over to the music and the song reached a crescendo with all three contributing vocals,

_"__Tequila,  
It makes me happy,  
Con Tequila it feels fiiiiine,  
Con Tequila when the doors are opened,  
And con Tequila when they're calling time..."_

As the final strains of the song died the trio collapsed giggling onto one of the couches, arms and legs strewn haphazardly as they all tried to catch their breath.

Kurt was the first to find his voice again as he looked at the girls with suspiciously moist eyes,

"Thanks guys... you're the greatest."

The hug that engulfed the soprano from both sides, followed by the double raspberry to each side of his neck had him squirming and giggling hysterically as he slipped bonelessly onto the carpet.

"Shots!", cried the blonde as she hopped up from the couch and crossed to the bed.

"Oh no...", Kurt tried to protest earning himself a glare from both of the girls. Not to be dissuaded he tried a whining tone,

"But... but I'm such a lightweight... I'll be asleep in seconds... and there's school in the morning... yeah school... school... is... important?..." he trailed off hopefully before realising that he had lost the argument before it had even begun.

"We'll keep you awake don't worry... and if you do fall asleep we'll shave off your eyebrows and draw on your face..."

The look of horror on the soprano's face was enough to send both girls into fits of giggles as Kurt mock huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

Breaking the seal on the first bottle, Britt poured healthy measures into three of the glasses before cutting wedges of lime.

Mercedes stood from the couch and wandered over to the stereo as she put Kurt's iPod on shuffle, grimacing slightly when the first song to come out was a showtune from Gypsy.

"Kurt babygirl... you have to get yourself some new tunes..."

Kurt looked truly offended as he glared at the girl from his position lying propped against the foot of the couch.

Grabbing her bag, Mercedes retrieved a CD and switching off Kurt's iPod popped in her own music and pressed play. The deep bass pounded before 'Sexy Bitch' came from the speakers as the girl crossed to haul the brunette from his spot on the floor, propelling him in the direction of the impatiently waiting blonde by the bed.

"One for you..." said the blonde handing a glass to Mercedes and sprinkling a little salt on the back of her hand.

"One for me..." she picked up her own glass before finally,

"and...one for you..." she said handing a glass to the brunette with a light dusting of salt and earning herself a raised eyebrow in return.

"How come my glass is full to the top and yours are only half full?" he moaned.

The girls just grinned evilly at the soprano before downing their shots and grabbing for the lime wedges. Sighing in defeat, Kurt glared again at the girls before licking the salt and downing the shot.

___'God it burns...'_

This was Kurt's first experience of the fiery Mexican drink and it scorched his throat all the way to his stomach. Doubling over and coughing he could feel the girl's hands on his back before a lime wedge was slipped between his teeth and he bit down instinctively.

The lime juice helped to calm the burning sensation which by now had spread to his limbs, leaving trails of a happy warm sensation in their wake.

Straightening up he looked at the pair who were watching him with concern in their eyes before he smiled at them and clinked his glass on the tray.

"Hit me barkeep...", he said giggling and already feeling the effects of the alcohol on his extremely low tolerance.

"Yay! We're gonna get drunk, we're gonna get drunk...", sang Brittany as she poured another round of shots, again skewing the distribution heavily in the brunette's favour. The boy didn't care at this point though and simply snatched up the drink, shook some salt onto the back of his hand and downed the shot without ceremony.

Getting used to the taste and effect, Kurt managed to keep from coughing this time, instead just grimacing and wheezing as his eyes watered.

The girls downed their shots a moment later and as the music shifted to a dancier track the group abandoned the shots for the moment to go bust some moves.

* * *

Noah lay in the dark with the head of the Latina girl pillowed on his muscular chest. He had lain there for hours now unable to sleep and had just been staring at the ceiling in silent contemplation.

He would be a fool and a liar if he tried to deny that what he had just done with the girl in the bed with him had not been pleasurable, at least in a physical sense. Each time that they had been together in the past, chemistry had never been the issue between Noah and Santana. They had always been extremely sexually compatible, each able to match the other for fire and passion.

Emotionally however Noah felt empty and hollow. He'd done what he had needed to do, all with the encouragement of the Q-voice in his head reminding him to keep going. Logically he knew he'd had no choice in the matter, as to not follow through would have spelled the end to his burgeoning relationship with Kurt.

Noah wanted to rage and scream. He wanted to wake the girl in his arms and tell her flat out that she could never dream of holding a candle to the brunette he'd left behind. But he knew he couldn't, not unless he wanted to be shipped 1700 miles cross country to live in a compound in the asshole of nowhere.

Checking the clock on the bedside he saw it was still relatively early in the morning and giving up on getting to sleep, Noah decided his duty had been done as far as Santana was concerned and that it was time to bail. He'd done so in the past so,

_'What does it matter if I'm not here in the morning now?'_

Holding his breath Noah slipped out from under the slumbering Latina trying desperately not to rouse her. Substituting his body for a pillow, he watched with satisfaction as the girl hugged the pillow to her chest, before he gathered up his discarded clothing and tiptoed to the bathroom.

Afraid to turn on the light, Noah slipped on his top and looked at his pants in the gloom.

_'Shit... how the fuck am I going to get these back on?...'_

His last attempt to put the leather pants on had left him red faced, panting and covered in talc. This time however he couldn't afford to make a sound and he didn't have any talc available and so he abandoned all thought of trying to wear the pants and grabbed a towel from the rack.

Wrapping the towel around his waist to protect his modesty, Noah slung his pants over his shoulder, picked up his sneakers and padded out of the room in bare feet.

Exiting the house and standing on the porch, Noah slipped his sneakers on quickly before he considered his options. He'd broken out without a plan in his head as to where he was going to go. His truck was too far away to make it on foot, especially while wearing a skin tight black sleeveless top and peach bath towel combo. He could walk home but again the distance was prohibitive.

_'Kurt's... it's close enough that I should be able to make it...'_

Striking out for the Hummel house, Noah froze as the headlights of a police cruiser swung round the corner at the intersection up ahead. Fear coursed through the jock as he realised he would most likely be arrested were he to be discovered in his current state.

_'Shit, shit, shit, shit...'_

Looking both left and right Noah realised with a growing sense of horror that he had nowhere to go. The section of road he was on was cut into the side of a hill with a steep embankment on the side of the road to his right and a steep drop to his left.

_'Shit, shit, shit, shit...'_

Realising he had little choice, Noah put on a burst of speed and crossed the road, causing his towel to come loose and drop to tangle in his feet. Losing his balance as he reached the curb, Noah stumbled head over heels into the undergrowth yelping as his arm snagged something sharp.

The headlights of the cruiser passed over the hole in the undergrowth caused by the jock's body just seconds later seeing nothing, however the football player was several dozen metres from there by that point anyway.

Unable to slow his descent, Noah continued to roll down the hill finally coming to a stop with a muffled crash against the fence of someone's back yard.

_'Owwwww... that's going to leave a mark...'_

Laying face down in the mud, Noah simply took a moment to catch his breath. His heart was hammering in his chest and he could feel the adrenaline coursing through his body.

Using the fence for support, Noah hauled himself to his feet, untangling the pants which were now caked in mud, from where they adorned him like a scarf.

Feeling a breeze where he shouldn't, Noah looked down to find that the towel that had been protecting his modesty was no longer secured around his waist.

Doing a full 360⁰ of the area, Noah searched for any sign of the peach fabric in the darkness. Groaning when he could see no trace of it and when staring back up the steep embankment revealed no way to ascend, Noah braced himself on the fence before swinging over and landing in the yard.

"Yow!..." he cried, slapping a hand over his mouth in case he woke the occupants of the nearby house. In the darkness Noah had failed to spot the kids paddling pool filled with freezing cold water which had been backing onto the fence.

Jumping out of the frigid liquid Noah couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the past few minutes.

_'Can't put my pants on... almost get arrested... fall down a hill... lose my towel... jump a fence and get soaked in cold water... what else can go wrong?'_

Treading carefully and acutely aware that his sneakers were now squishing quite loudly on the deck, Noah circled the house and exited onto the street.

He sighed in relief when he realised where he'd come out and that he was only a couple of minutes from the Hummel's.

_'Thank God... if it gets any colder my cock might just fall off... and that'd be such a loss to humanity...'_

Jogging down the street, he approached the Hummel house and smiled to see the lights on the porch were still on.

Crossing the yard, he hopped up the steps of the porch and knocked on the door quietly.

Nothing.

Knocking again, this time a little louder, he jumped when he heard a loud clattering from somewhere across the street. Spinning and ducking down behind the porch seat he peered out and spotted the old lady across the way staring slack-jawed at him as the lid to her trash can spun on the ground before coming to a stop.

With a startled 'eep' she turned tail and retreated to the safety of her house and even from across the street Noah could hear the deadbolt engage with a heavy clunk.

Standing again and noting that in the intervening few seconds the door still hadn't been answered, Noah walked back down the porch steps and rounded the house to try to find a basement window.

* * *

The trio were now deep into the bottle of Cuervo and were sitting on the floor around the low coffee table talking,

"You... you know w-what... _hic_...I'll miss... I'll miss the most... the holding hands," said Brittany as she twirled a wedge of lime in her hands.

"N-not the lesbian sex?" asked Mercedes, her head slumped against the side of the couch and her eyes glassy.

"Ooh... yeah the sex... Sanny was always good with the sex...", the girl admitted as she looked sad for a moment.

The brunette who had until that moment been sitting with his head slumped against his chest growled before snapping,

"Don't talk to me about sex... I don't even get to have sex with Noah... it's not fair..." he lamented, before his eyes rolled back in his head and he had to close his eyes again, "... someone tell the room to stop spinning..." he groaned.

Nodding and then grimacing at the movement Brittany continued on her course,

"Yeah... sex with Puck was good..." smiling and licking her lips at the memory.

Kurt perked up as he heard the blonde refer to his boyfriend,

"You... you had sex with my Prince?...", at the girls answering nod he threw his arms listlessly into the air before moaning, "...oh _man_... s'not fair..." he grumbled.

Mercedes who had been listening silently for a couple of minutes looked up and tilted her head in contemplation.

"Uh... Kurt?"

"... Yesh 'cedes?"

"Why... _hic_... why is there a cock at your window?"

Kurt had certainly had a lot to drink and his mind was definitely fuzzy but he could have sworn that 'cedes had just asked why there was a cock at his window...

"_What?_" he asked,

Rolling her eyes as if it was the most normal thing in the world, Mercedes repeated her question,

"I said... why is there a _cock_... at your... window?"

Turning to the window Kurt replied,

"Don't be shilly 'shadies'...", before he giggled at his slurred words, "...there's no... OH!_"_

Both the soprano and the blonde stared in momentary disbelief before their addled brains provided the answer to the unasked question at the same instant,

"Noah!"

"Puck!" , they cried in stereo before looking at each other and breaking down in giggles.

A moment later the cock disappeared only to be replaced by the face of Kurt's wayward boyfriend peering in through the glass. Spotting the group all sitting and leering at him, with Kurt waving enthusiastically, he yelped before stumbling backwards and landing on his ass just out of sight.

_'Owww... fucking pebbles...'_

Before he could consider his next move Noah heard the latch on the basement window being undone and the window swung open to reveal Kurt's face, clearly as he balanced precariously on some piece of furniture.

"Hey Noah's cock... hey Noah's face..." he greeted and the jock got a whiff of tequila from the boy's breath.

_'Oh great... he's drunk again...'_

"Kurt... you've been drinking again...", he said in mock exasperation.

The boy shook his head in denial before he realised the boy wasn't buying it and simply grinned at him instead.

"OK... Kurt move away, I'm coming in..."

Noah waited a few seconds as he heard Kurt clamber back down from the window, followed by a muffled 'oomph' as he landed back on the carpet by the couch.

Swinging his legs in through the narrow window, Noah supported his weight on the frame before lowering himself down into the basement, landing on the same chair that the soprano had obviously used moments earlier.

A wolf-whistle from Mercedes provided a fanfare to his entrance. Realising that to be ashamed of his nakedness would detract from his badass rep, Noah simply raised a single eyebrow at the girl and let her take her fill of the view.

"Damn Kurt... you are one lucky son of a bitch..." said Mercedes averting her eyes after a moment and blushing.

_'Yep... still totally badass...'_

"Nope... I'm the lucky one."

He didn't know what prompted him to come out with such a flowery statement but it was clearly well received as the girls both 'awwed' and Kurt simply pointed at Noah and said,

"Mine..."

Crossing the room, Noah sat beside the soprano who automatically snuggled into his side. Throwing an arm around the boy he pulled him against him in a tight embrace and felt the boy place a kiss to his neck.

Looking at the other girls and in particular to Brittany who was staring at little-noah like Christmas had come early, he cleared his throat causing the girl's eyes to snap upwards and her to blush deeply.

"Eyes are up here Britt..." he joked, while the brunette giggled at his side, "... so what are we doing?"

Noah asked the question though it was plainly obvious from the discarded lime wedges and the smell of Tequila on the brunette's breath that there had been some serious drinking taking place.

"We're haffing a sleep'ova an talkin' bout boys Noah..." offered Kurt as he licked the shell of the boy's ear causing the larger boy to shudder and to his embarrassment for his cock to twitch slightly.

Realising if he was going to be sitting here half naked in a room with his boyfriend and two of his ex's he'd need to be drunk too, he reached up to the table and snagged the bottle of Cuervo.

Spinning the cap off with one hand with a practiced ease, Noah took a long drag of the liquid before grimacing slightly at the burn. The expressions on the other three faces told him that his familiarity with the drink was clearly unexpected.

"What? I'm a badass..." he offered in explanation.

"I like your ass... it's not bad..." offered Kurt as Noah leant down to place a kiss on his lips.

"... and I like yours too Princess...", deciding it would be pointless to try to correct the boy in his current condition.

The sound of fake retching brought them out of their little lovefest as they saw Britt holding Mercedes hair in a fake vomiting pose.

"Just 'coz you're jally... jello... jealous of my boyfriend...", said Kurt before leaning forward and whispering conspiratorially as if he was passing on a secret, "... you can't have him..."

Noah smiled at the boy before taking another drag from the bottle in an attempt to catch up. He could feel the beginnings of the happy warm feeling suffusing his skin and knew before long he'd be just as drunk as the rest of the occupants of the room.

"So what were we talking about?" he asked the room.

"Sex...", answered Brittany, "... with you..."

"...s'not fair..." he heard Kurt grumbling against his side.

"What's not fair Princess?" he asked though he suspected he knew the answer already.

"...s'not fair that blondie gets to have sex with you and I don't..."

The brunette's eyes were filled with tears as he looked up at the jock and though he could tell that the boy was only crying because he was drunk, it still tugged at his heart to see him upset.

Kissing his eyelids and wiping away the tears he whispered into the boy's ear,

"I'll have sex with you whenever you want Kurt..."

The smaller boy perked up like a hyper puppy at the announcement as he shared it with the room,

"Noah's going to have sex with me!"

Brittany for some reason cheered the announcement, though her head was flopped back on the couch and she was almost asleep. Mercedes however shuddered and replied,

"Oh HELL naw..." before she slumped unconscious.

Noah sat there waiting for someone to say something for a moment before he realised that there was the unmistakeable sound of snoring coming from all three of the occupants of the room.

Lifting the bottle to his lips, he toasted the evening,

"Bottoms up...", grinning at the mumble from Kurt in his sleep,

"... like your ass..."

* * *

**A/N: After the hardship of the last chapter I have tried to inject a little bit of fun into this chapter, I hope you enjoy it.**

**It is now official too – I have the longest M-rated Glee fic on this site which with the addition of this chapter will be in excess of 145,000 words. That's pretty scary all things considered. **

**Musical choices on this occasion were:**

******'Tequila' by Terrorvision and 'Sexy Bitch' by David Guetta feat. Akon.**

**I hope you continue to enjoy the story.**

**PLEASE REVIEW.**


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

**A/N: A friend of mine who reads my work though insists that she won't review in writing, only by hitting me if I screw up, pointed out that my pissy mood had invaded my last Author's Notes. So I apologise for my lil breakdown – there are you happy now? XD**

**Anyway – prostration over, and with a sore arm I continue to type.**

**Chapter 35 – The Morning After The Night Before**

* * *

_"The hills are alive, with the sound of..."_

_'...retching?'_

As Noah cracked a single bleary eye open the following morning he realised his head felt like a piñata that had been bashed one too many times. Groaning and attempting to sit up he realised too late that there was a weight on his chest, which his movement had dislodged and sent crashing to the carpet with a startled 'oomph'.

Peering over the side of the bed he couldn't help but laugh at the familiar sight.

"Princess... why do you always lie face down on the carpet when you're hungover?"

"Urrrrggggghhhhh!"

Clearly his boyfriend wasn't yet coherent enough to form an answer.

The sound of retching reached his ears again and he glanced off in the direction of the bathroom while doing a mental headcount of the occupants of the room,

_'I'm here... Kurt's here... there's Aretha... oh, where's Britt?...'_

Another burst of noise from the bathroom, followed by a groan confirmed to the jock that the blonde was currently the driver of the porcelain bus to Pukesville.

Slipping out of the bed and cringing as he stood on a soggy wedge of lime, Noah padded over to the bathroom door which was closed over but not latched.

"Hhhhuuuueeyyy...", Noah wrinkled his nose in disgust before steeling himself and pushing open the door.

Crossing the room, he rummaged around in the cabinet below the sink for the bottle of aspirin before setting it on the counter. Perching on the edge of the tub next to the sick girl, he swept up her hair to hold it out of the way.

"Are you actually saying 'Huey'?", he asked with a smirk.

Taking a deep breath in between convulsions and wrinkling her nose at the awful smell, Britt answered,

"That's what you're supposed to say..."

Noah just looked at the girl for a second before he realised that she wasn't kidding and she really did believe that.

"I think I may have drunk alcohol last night...", said the rather green-tinged Cheerio before another wave overtook her.

Noah simply rolled his eyes at the girl's obviousness as he held her hair and rubbed soothing circles on her back until she was done. Filling a glass at the faucet and offering it to the girl together with a couple aspirin, he smirked as he remembered the last time he'd been in this position but with a different person.

Seeing the expression on his face Brittany looked concerned,

"What? Do I have vomit on my face?..."

"Oh.. no, I'm just remembering the last time I did this..."

"Huh?... You've never done this before... did you have alcohol too?... Is it like affecting your memory?... I hope I don't forget where I live again."

Realising the blonde was getting herself overly agitated he attempted to soothe her worries,

"No.. not with you Britt... with Fashionista Barbie out there...", he said smiling fondly at the thought of the brunette.

"Oh...", she said as she finished draining the glass of water and handed it back to him with a thankful smile, "... you really like him don't you?"

The surprise in the girl's voice was clear but he couldn't be angry with the girl. After all a few weeks ago if you'd asked Noah himself if he could imagine being this crazy about the brunette he'd have probably... no he _would_ have punched you in the face.

"Yeah. I really do."

"You _love_ him."

The jock scoffed at the girl's earnest stare while he replied,

"Don't be silly."

_'Completely'_

Brittany blinked and as if only now her eyes were seeing for the first time, she realised exactly what she was staring. Her resulting blush returned some much needed colour to her cheeks.

"Uh... Puck...could you... could you maybe back away a bit? Your cock is in my face and I'm not feeling up to giving you a blowjob right now..."

Looking at their relative positions, perched as he was on the side of the tub and with Brittany on her knees over the toilet, Noah realised with embarrassment that he was still free and breezy and that little-noah had been dangling just inches from the girl's head the entire time they had been talking.

"Uh... yeah sure... sorry..." he offered as he snagged another towel and wrapped it around himself.

"Thank you..." offered the girl, before another wave crashed over her and she was calling out for Huey again.

He was about to stand and excuse himself when he was surprised to see a Kurt wander into the bathroom whilst rubbing his eyes sleepily. The brunette took no notice of his audience as the shower kicked into life and without a backwards glance Kurt slipped out of his pyjama pants and stepped directly under the icy spray.

"Aaaaarrrggghhh!", came the high pitched squeal just a split second later as the boy jumped back out of the spray, glaring at the shower as if it had done him an injustice.

Noah couldn't help the bubble of laughter that escaped him as it was clear that the boy had been too hungover to realise that he'd only switched on the cold faucet and that the temperature of the water was freezing.

Taking pity on the small, naked and very bewildered looking figure, Noah rose from the side of the tub. Grabbing another towel he crossed to Kurt before wrapping the brunette up in a towel cocoon and hugging the boy to his chest.

Rubbing the cotton material over Kurt's clammy skin Noah dried him off, receiving a grateful smile and to Brittany's amusement a rumbling purring sound in thanks.

"You two are just too cute...", said the blonde as Noah bent down to kiss the brunette softly. Pulling away, Noah licked his lips,

"Mmmm... tequila... almost as good as fries..."

The brunette blushed prettily at the memory before swatting at the boy from inside his towel straitjacket.

The moment was interrupted by the entrance of a bear with a sore head in the form of a severely hungover Mercedes Jones.

"Is this a private orgy or can anyone join in?"

"For you Aretha... just hop on board..."

Noah grinned at the girl as she just rolled her eyes before shuffling to the sink to splash cold water on her face.

"Everyone but Noah has to get out, I want to have a shower...", announced Kurt as he turned on the hot faucet and poked hesitantly at the spray of water as if it would bite him.

"Everyone _but_ Noah?" asked Mercedes with a grin.

"He's already seen all of me so there's no point hiding it now is there?... You two however... scram...", he said making a shooing motion with his hands.

"I've already seen all of you too...", offered Brittany causing the soprano to blush at the realisation.

Mercedes couldn't help but chuckle at the little diva's antics before she addressed Noah and Brittany,

"If you guys want a ride back to your places to get clothes I'm leaving now."

Looking at the crestfallen expression on the brunette's face, Noah seriously considered saying no to Aretha. However the memory of his now ruined pants and the fact that a towel was currently the only thing protecting his modesty caused him to reconsider.

"I'm sorry Kurt... we can share a shower some other time 'K?" he offered as the boy mock pouted.

Closing the distance between them, Noah wrapped the smaller boy up in an embrace, before placing a chaste kiss on his lips.

"I'll see you at school Princess."

Following Mercedes lead Noah trooped from the bathroom.

Brittany looked at the expression on Kurt's face before she offered,

"If you really want someone to shower with you, I suppose I could..."

Breaking from his melancholy Kurt couldn't help but smile at the girl's honest offer before shaking his head,

"Thanks Britt... I'll be fine."

"Oh OK, if you're sure...", said the girl with a smile.

"Britt!... We're leaving now...", came the holler from the bedroom.

Brittany moved forward to embrace the brunette before she chirped,

"Bye Kurt...", and skipped out the door.

He shook his head in disbelief that the girl who had been throwing up just moments ago now looked and acted like she'd not touched a drop of Tequila in her life. Kurt instantly regretted his head shaking antics however as his brain exploded in agony. Stumbling over to the counter he tipped out two aspirin from the open bottle and downed them.

Hearing the sound of the basement door slamming shut, he hung his towel over the side of the tub and stepped into the now steamy hot shower with a grateful sigh.

* * *

As Mercedes pulled up outside Noah's house, he thanked the girl for the ride and quickly dashed across the yard. Unlocking the door, he rushed into the kitchen, the door slamming behind him as he closed his eyes and leant back against the wood.

His relief was to be short lived however as through his closed eyelids Noah was startled by a burst of bright white light.

His eyes popped open in horror as he saw Q sitting at the table, her cell in her hands and an evil grin on her face. She had clearly just snapped a picture of him.

"What the hell happened to you?", she asked snickering slightly at his bedraggled appearance and completely ignoring his glare.

Sighing Noah's shoulders slumped before he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Long story Q. I'm hungover and right now all I need is a shower...", he said as he stumbled past the now openly laughing girl and up the stairs to the bathroom.

Having taken an extra long, extra hot shower, Noah felt vaguely more human and the pounding behind his eyes had lessened somewhat.

Checking the clock and realising he was now officially out of time, Noah searched his closet and pulled out his most comfortable jeans and a white tee which he pulled on in quick order.

Pounding back down the stairs, he noted Q had already left for school as he picked up his cell and keys from the table where he'd abandoned them before he practically sprinted out of the door.

* * *

The school bell was trying to kill him. At least that's what Kurt had decided as he held his aching head midway through first period Spanish.

_'Stupid aspirin did nothing... nothing I tell you...'_

After his shower, Kurt had tried to go through with his morning routine, only to give up minutes later with the realisation that no amount of concealer and blusher was going to help with his pale washed out skin or with the big purple bags under his eyes.

Mercifully during class Mr Schue had decided to show the class an old VCR of a guided tour of Barcelona. After an hour of sitting in the dark with his head pillowed on his arms, Kurt had been pleased to note that his head wasn't pounding quite as badly as it had been before.

As the day had progressed Kurt had noticed Noah in the periphery of his vision on several occasions but the jock had never approached him as he had developed a sudden growth on his right arm. That growth was called Santana Lopez.

He knew he shouldn't do it but he couldn't help it. Each time he looked for Noah, _she_ was there, smirking at him and fawning over _his_ boyfriend. It was enough to make him want to claw the Latina's eyes out.

_'She's taunting me... and there's nothing I can do about it.'_

Both Noah and Kurt, with Quinn's assistance had discussed the possibility that they would need to demonstrate to Santana that their relationship was definitely dead and buried and that it had been the jock's decision to end things. Deciding now was as good a time as any to get the unpleasant conversation out of the way, fake or not, Kurt took a deep breath before marching over to the couple.

"Noah."

"Hummel."

Each of the boys were aware that they were simply playing a part for the Latina's benefit however it still hurt each of them to pretend to be so distant to the other. Kurt also didn't have to fake the momentary flinch at hearing Noah call him by his surname in such a harsh tone.

Santana stood off to Noah's side, her claws wrapped around his forearm as she glared at the soprano. A momentary flash of satisfaction crossed the girl's features at the soprano's flinch.

Kurt's voice was timid as he cleared his throat nervously,

"We uh... we still need to choose a song for Glee."

"Choose something straight and I'll sing it. None of your _faggy_ showtunes and I'll be happy."

Noah's heart was aching in his chest and more than anything he wanted to scoop the boy up in his arms and apologise for his words, but he was all too aware of what Santana had been doing all morning and realised why Kurt had decidded to put their plan into action.

"Uh... OK... nothing _faggy_. I'll let you know?"

"You do that." said Noah before turning to Santana and saying,

"I'm going to go to the gym babe. Come find me in a bit yeah?"

The girl smiled at the footballer as she dragged his head down and into a passionate kiss not six inches from the soprano's face. Keeping her eyes open Santana was satisfied when Kurt looked away and a flash of pain crossed his face.

Breaking the kiss Noah turned to leave flashing Kurt a glance filled with remorse when Santana couldn't see.

Kurt simply stood there watching the boy stalk down the hallway and had completely forgotten that the Latina was still standing beside him.

The girl had observed Kurt's pained expression and considered something for a moment before she spoke directly to him for the first time.

"Homo."

"Slut."

Kurt may have to pretend he wasn't seeing Noah anymore but it didn't mean he had to give an inch to the Latina and feigning dislike for the girl certainly wasn't required.

"Stay away from my boyfriend."

Kurt just raised a single eyebrow in challenge to the girl not deigning to reply.

"I see the way you still look at him...", she pressed clearly looking for a reaction.

Adopting a downtrodden expression Kurt allowed a little of his own insecurities to shine through as he replied in a small voice,

"I wanted him, I admit it OK? But I was stupid to think he would change. Do you... do you know what he said to me when he dumped me? That he'd come to his senses. That he'd made a mistake. He never wanted me, I was just there and I wanted him so much... Just...", Kurt slipped in a slight hitch to his voice for added effect, "... just leave me alone."

Pushing past the girl with a sob worthy of an Oscar nomination, he fled in the direction of the Choir Room ahead of Glee.

_'She's still suspicious. Looks like Quinn was right, I need to find 'cedes and Mr Schue...'_

* * *

This was the first time that the full club had been in the one room since the whole blow-up the previous week and the tension was palpable.

Santana was, as she had been all day, hanging all over Noah in the corner and was clearly frustrated by the fact that the boy had his eyes closed and appeared to be dozing.

Kurt had entered the room and slumped into a seat as far from the jock as possible while he popped another two aspirin into his mouth and washed them down with a gulp of water.

"Hey Kurt... you look rough, everything OK?" said Artie in a soft voice.

Clearing his throat Kurt just nodded to the bespectacled boy,

"If Brittany ever turns up at your house wearing a sombrero and carrying a giant Winnie the Pooh, don't let her in. That's the best advice I can give you."

The boy simply looked perplexed at the seemingly random statement but he let it slide as Mr Schue had taken up position at the front of the room.

"Hey guys. This week I was going to let you all get working again on your projects, however Rachel has pointed out to me that some of you..." he paused to look specifically at Kurt and Noah and surprisingly at Finn and Tina, "...might not be taking this assignment as seriously as you perhaps should."

The majority of the room glared at the girl who looked back unrepentant before shifting her rapt attention back to the teacher.

"So... I thought I'd try to shake things up a little."

Kurt didn't like the sound of that, though he did accept that he hadn't really done anything yet for his Glee project.

"As you know the Cheerios are holding an exhibition on the final day of the semester before Spring Break. Now I've spoken to Principal Figgins and I've arranged with him that whichever pairing comes up with the best performance, they will perform as part of the exhibition."

Rachel applauded enthusiastically while the rest of group groaned at the thought of the extra work they'd now have to put in. The chances for a solo didn't come around very often when Rachel Berry was around after all.

"Now. I believe Kurt has something he'd like to share with the group."

Rising from his chair, Kurt motioned to Matt, who had been kind enough to offer his guitar playing abilities to the soprano on Mercedes orders, as he dragged the stool into the centre of the room.

Preparing himself he nodded at the guitarist who began to strum out the melody before Kurt allowed himself to be carried away,

"_He looks at me  
I fake a smile so he won't see  
What I want and I need  
And everything that we should be_

_I'll bet she's beautiful  
That girl he talks about  
And she's got everything  
That I have to live without"_

_He talks to me  
I laugh 'cause it's just so funny  
I can't even see  
Anyone when he's with me_

_He says he's so in love  
He's finally got it right  
I wonder if he knows  
He's all I think about at night_

Locking eyes with Santana to see whether she had picked up on the message he was trying to convey, he figured she had judging from the smug smile on her face and the fact that she apparently no longer felt the need to keep a vice grip on Noah's arm. Giving himself over to the music he poured his soul into the lyrics, his voice melodic and haunting,

_"He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar  
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star  
He's the song in the car I keep singing  
Don't know why I do_

_He walks by me  
Can he tell that I can't breathe?  
And there he goes, so perfectly  
The kind of flawless I wish I could be_

_She better hold him tight  
Give him all her love  
Look in those beautiful eyes  
And know she's lucky 'cause"_

Kurt's eyes had slipped shut as the poignant lyrics and the sadness of the song tore at his heart. Though he knew that Noah was still his and wanted to be with him, he wasn't naïve enough to think that his boyfriend had not had sex with the Latina the night before. The pain he was projecting in his voice therefore was completely real.

"_He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar  
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star  
He's the song in the car I keep singing  
Don't know why I do_

_So I drive home alone  
As I turn out the light  
I'll put his picture down  
And maybe get some sleep tonight_

_'Cuz he's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar  
The only one who's got enough of me to break my heart  
He's the song in the car I keep singing  
Don't know why I do_

_He's the time taken up but there's never enough  
And he's all that I need to fall into  
He looks at me  
I fake a smile so he won't see"_

As the final strains of the song died away there was no applause from the assembled gleeks. The sheer depth of emotion in the song had taken everyone's breath away. The only person in the room not affected, or at least not sad was Santana, who was smirking maliciously at the heartbreak which was plain to see on the soprano's face.

Wiping away a stray tear which he hadn't had to fake, Kurt opened his eyes and looked at Noah before turning and fleeing the room.

* * *

**A/N: Aww more angst but at least this time it was sort of 'half real/half act'. Doesn't mean I feel any worse for torturing poor Kurt though. **

**I searched literally for hours trying to find the perfect song for him to perform. I finally decided on "Teardrops on My Guitar" by Taylor Swift with a little amendment to remove "Drew" and replace with the more generic "He". I think it worked very well in the end.**

**There's not going to be much more to go on this story now, a few chapters at most – not sure how many, depends how many words it takes to get to each of my final little plot markers. **

**Thank you all though for continuing to read.**

**PLEASE REVIEW**


	36. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

**A/N: I went to see Inception tonight after work instead of coming home diligently, forgetting to eat dinner and writing the next chapter of this story. As I start to write this it's just after 9pm GMT and I'm not sure if my one update a day rule is going to be intact or not. We'll see.**

**Chapter 36 – Oh my GAWD!**

* * *

The assembled audience sat frozen for a moment before Mercedes was the first to react to the soprano's rather rushed exit. With an apologetic glance to Matt who looked awful that he had assisted in causing Kurt such pain, and without a by your leave to Mr Schue, she had gone after her fleeing friend.

"Well that was interesting..." drawled Santana with a cruel smirk on her face.

Getting to her feet she made a point of smoothing out her Cheerios outfit and brushing off some invisible lint. It was clear that she was very happy with how the day had turned out.

"Well, now that that's over I have better things to be doing."

"Why do you have to be such a bitch Sanny?..." asked Brittany as she too got to her feet.

Santana simply stared at the blonde as if seeing her for the first time, her face slack with shock. The blonde had never said a mean word to anyone about anything in her entire life before. Except for Rachel of course but that was different.

The blonde just stared at the girl with her hands on her hips, as the assembled gleeks all held their breath for the inevitable explosion. Recovering herself and closing her dropped jaw with an audible click, Santana was primed to fire back when she was interrupted. By Mike Chang of all people.

"Uh... Britt?...", turning to the tall boy at the sound of his voice, the blonde shot him a coy smile that caused him to stammer, "...y-you ready to go?"

Taking up the football player's hand and lacing their fingers she replied,

"In a minute sweetie, I have one thing I have to do first."

Looking back at Santana there was no trace of any anger, any pain or any sadness on the blonde's face,

"I wanted to thank you Sanny."

The Latina looked confused, very confused.

"You... you're welcome?", she offered suddenly very unsure of herself. The random turn the confrontation with the Dutch girl had taken had thrown her completely.

The Latina's confusion became true bewilderment when the blonde giggled and there was the first hint of bitterness laced in the girl's voice,

"If I had wasted any more time on you, I would have missed out on Mike here...", she held up their joined hands as the Asian boy simply stood there looking slightly uncomfortable at being used as a prop but also rather elated to be holding the girl's hand at all.

A momentary flash of guilt crossed Santana's face, which she quickly smothered before slipping her mask back into place. Brittany continued on regardless however,

"He's _much_ better suited to me I think. So... no hard feelings 'K?"

Santana didn't have the wherewithal to form a reply at that moment so Brittany shrugged deciding that the conversation had run it's course. Tugging on the footballer's hand she announced loudly to the room,

"Bye guys we'll see you later... c'mon Mike... I want to go make out some more before I have to go home."

Without a backwards glance to the stunned Cheerio, the blonde breezed from the room with a bewildered but also excited jock following in her wake.

The rest of the gleeks stared after the exiting pair before Rachel piped up,

"Well I think they make a cute couple..."

"Oh who cares what you think Barry Streisand...", snapped the clearly shaken Latina, "... Puck, we're leaving..."

Getting to his feet as the girl stormed from the room, Noah didn't move to follow. Instead he offered an apologetic shrug to the remaining members of the club before exiting the room and heading in the opposite direction to his girlfriend.

"What just happened? I thought Puck was with Kurt?", asked a clearly confused Finn.

The rest of the group just looked at the clueless Quarterback as Quinn patted him on the arm,

"Don't worry yourself about it sweetie."

* * *

Rushing from the Choir Room, Mercedes spotted a familiar mop of brunette hair entering the women's bathroom. She made to follow but paused for a moment to lean against the wall as she listened to the confrontation taking place between Britt and the Psycho back in the Choir Room.

She couldn't help the wide smile on her face as she listened to Brittany lay the smackdown on her former partner.

* * *

The blonde's relationship with Mike was relatively new, but Mercedes through Mike had been aware that the quiet dancer had been carrying a torch for the blonde Dutch girl for a while. As it turned out Brittany herself had known of the jock's romantic interest but because she had been with Santana, she'd never done anything about it.

The public break-up with the Latina Cheerio however had given Mike the impetus to step up to the plate and he'd called round to Brittany's house on the afternoon of the day she had stayed home from school.

He'd been so genuinely concerned for the girl's welfare that she had broken down in floods of tears when he'd first hesitantly asked how she was doing. He had then proven over the course of that afternoon just what a good guy he was, by sitting with her on the porch as she had cried herself out on his shoulder.

Their first kiss had surprised had Brittany just as much as it had surprised Mike. She had just finished crying and was sitting with her head bowed in misery, when she'd felt gentle fingers brush along her jawline.

When she'd looked into Mike's eyes she had seen the depth of compassion there and when she'd leaned in towards him and gently pressed her lips to his they had both been blown away by the frisson of electricity their contact brought.

They had sat for the rest of the day and well into the evening just talking after that and found that their personalities seemed to mesh well. Mike was naturally quiet and shy and Brittany was effervescent and chipper and between them they struck a happy balance.

As the sun had gone down and the stars had come out, Mike had haltingly worked up the courage to admit to his feelings for the girl and to ask her out. And that as they say had been that.

* * *

Mercedes grinned unashamedly as the blonde left the room dragging a clearly lovestruck Mike behind her like a puppy on a lead.

_'Poor guy doesn't know what he's gotten himself into'_

She had just pushed herself off the wall and was about to go tend to Kurt when Santana came charging out of the door and with a glare to the girl stalked off down the corridor without a backwards glance.

Just a moment later Noah came slinking out of the room and seeing that Santana had disappeared around the corner without checking to see if he was following, he asked Mercedes,

"Girl's bathroom?"

She'd nodded at him before tilting her head in the direction the soprano had gone,

"I'll keep watch for your pet psycho..."

"I owe you one Aretha." he said as the girl fired back,

"You owe me two... and I still want to see you in those leather pants again..."

He couldn't help the smile on his face as he realised that Aretha and he might just be on their way to being friends.

Stopping outside the bathroom Noah pushed open the door and entered before letting it slip shut behind him.

Kurt was standing with his back to the door at the sinks, with his head bowed and his eyes closed. The knuckles on his hands were white as he gripped the edge of the counter in a death grip.

His small voice pierced the silence,

"...'cedes, I'm not sure how much longer I can do this..."

Noah didn't answer, he simply crossed to behind the brunette before wrapping his arms around him from behind and resting his head on the boy's shoulder.

"I'm sorry Kurt."

The soprano froze realising that the body embracing him and the voice that had addressed him, was not Mercedes as he'd assumed.

"Why are you sorry?", he asked unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

Noah sighed before he reached to loosen Kurt's grip on the edge of the counter and turned him around in his embrace to face him.

"I'm sorry that you seem to be the one taking all the shit here."

Kurt looked defeated and his shoulders were slumped. Noah loved the fire in the brunette and it worried him to see that he was truly unhappy.

"It's not your fault. It has to be this way..."

"It's not my fault I know that... but it doesn't... maybe we'd be better off..."

A sharp pain in his shin let him know that his ill chosen words had been correctly anticipated by the brunette.

"Don't you _dare_ think about being noble Noah Puckerman."

Grimacing at the pain in his shin from where the brunette had landed a fairly solid whack, he answered the boy,

"Owww... I hope you realise that I bruise like a peach...", before he became serious once again, "... I'm sorry I haven't been smart enough to figure a way out of this yet."

Kurt aimed a half-hearted glare at the jock before his lips twitched slightly, letting Noah know he wasn't truly mad at him.

"I _hate_ this...", exclaimed the brunette dashing at the tears on his lashes, "... I'm emotional and weepy and it's playing havoc with my make-up."

Noah couldn't help the rumbling chuckle at the truly indignant expression on his boyfriend's face.

"God I love you."

The resultant silence in the room was deafening. Both boys simply stared into each other's eyes as they took stock of the jock's unintentional declaration.

"You... you love me?"

Kurt's voice was timid and his expression was one of disbelief mixed with hope as his brain tried to process what Noah had just admitted to. Noah's brain meanwhile was moving a mile a minute as he tried to work out what had possessed him to admit to the boy, _in a school bathroom_, that he loved him.

_'Candles... dinner... Eiffel tower... nah, Noah Puckerman prefers toilet roll... disinfectant and the smell of urine..."_

"I... I..."

Kurt's face fell slightly as Noah tripped over his words.

"It's OK if you... if you didn't mean it like that..."

Noah felt awful for causing the brunette to doubt himself.

_'I love Kurt Hummel... yeah it feels right...'_

"I love you Kurt Hummel. Yeah I really do."

There. He'd said it again and the brilliant smile that blossomed on the brunette's face was reward enough for the simple phrase.

"I... I love you too Noah." said Kurt as if testing the phrase out to see how it felt. Seemingly satisfied Kurt nodded once before raising up on tiptoes to press a kiss to the jock's lips.

The kiss wasn't passionate, it wasn't demanding and it wasn't rushed. Both boys poured their respective feelings into the action however reaffirming their mutual feelings.

Finally breaking the contact due to lack of oxygen, Kurt leaned his head against Noah's chest as he listened to the steady thump of the jock's heart.

"Dum dum... dum dum..." he muttered, "... who'd have thought such a simple sound would be so relaxing?"

Noah chuckled again at the brunette,

"And I suppose if I were to listen to your heart it'd be like listening to the soundtrack to Guys and Dolls?"

The smaller boy just rolled his eyes at the boy before replying,

"That's not what I meant and you know it. I... I feel safe in your arms Noah. I feel loved."

"You are loved Princess." he confirmed to the brunette before placing a kiss on the top of the other boy's head.

The pair stood in silence for a minute or so before Kurt's worried voice asked,

"Noah... what are we going to do?"

"I... I don't know Princess...", admitted the jock as he squeezed the boy in his embrace slightly, "... but I'm not letting you go. Not now. Not ever."

The moment was broken by a vibrating in Noah's pants pocket. The jock's breath caught in his throat as he felt Kurt shift slightly in his embrace before nimble fingers plucked his pink cellphone from his pocket.

"Down boy..." giggled the brunette as she checked the message. Heaving a sigh he looked up to Noah,

"Santana wants to know where you are..."

Noah grimaced realising that the moment was now well and truly over as he replied,

"Tell her I'm in the girl's bathroom with my boyfriend and that she can go to Hell..."

The resultant burst of laughter from the smaller boy was exactly what he'd hope for to lift the tense atmosphere that had settled over the room.

"I don't think that would be the best idea Noah. As big as your cock is..." the brunette rolled his eyes at the smug expression the admission brought to his boyfriend's face, "... I don't think it'd stretch all the way from Utah, so I'd rather keep it local if you don't mind."

Noah just raised an eyebrow at the boy before he asked,

"Feeling a little frisky are we Princess?"

He was surprised when the boy blushed and looked away before he nodded and bit his lip.

"I'm... uh I'm not ready yet for... y'know... but I think maybe soon?"

Noah was truly shocked by he soprano's admission. He'd always been conscious of the fact that he was vastly more experienced than his smaller boyfriend and for that reason he'd been very careful in making sure that he'd been comfortable with the pace their relationship had developed.

"Is... is that OK?", said a small voice, reminding Noah that he had yet to respond.

Clearing his suddenly tight throat, Noah replied,

"Whenever you want to... I'll be ready. But not til you want it OK Princess?"

Kurt just snuggled back into his embrace and nodded against his chest,

"Thank you."

Noah squirmed as he felt another vibration, this time repeating against his stomach as his cell rang in Kurt's hand.

"You'd better answer her... she'll only come looking otherwise."

Taking the cell from the brunette's outstretched hand, Noah disengaged from the embrace before pacing to the other side of the bathroom, snapping open the cell he snapped,

"What?"

Clearly that was not the best way to answer the phone to Santana as Noah was forced to hold the receiver several inches from his ear for several seconds.

"OK already... I'll see you out front."

He didn't say goodbye to the girl before he snapped the cell shut again. Santana wanted Puck, she'd get classic Puck. With an apologetic glance to Kurt who had been watching the exchange with curious eyes he said,

"I... uh, I better go..."

Nodding in acceptance, Kurt asked,

"Will you come over tonight?"

Kurt thought about it before replying,

"I'll tell Santana we're working on our Glee project."

"OK. I love you."

"I love you too Princess. Bye."

Turning and leaving the bathroom he winked at Mercedes before strutting down the hallway as the girl entered the bathroom.

He had just turned the corner when he heard a female squeal of delight followed by the words,

"Oh my GAWD!"

* * *

By the time he'd calmed down an insanely hyperactive Mercedes and dropped her off at home in his new baby, Kurt was dead tired.

As Lola pulled into the drive, Kurt noted that his Dad's truck was back and that the lights in the house were on. Killing the engine, Kurt picked up his bag and hopped from the car.

He couldn't help running a hand along the lines of the bodywork and admiring the way the early evening sunlight reflected off the silver paint. He really did love his new baby.

Entering the hallway Kurt's nose twitched as he picked up on the aroma of garlic and tomatoes. Tossing his bag by the door and ditching his keys and cell on the table, he padded through to the kitchen.

"Hey Dad..." he offered to the man who was standing with his back to the door stirring a pot of spaghetti sauce.

"Kurt!"

The man abandoned his sauce in favour of crossing the short distance between them and giving his son a hug which his son returned gratefully.

"How was Columbus?" he asked as he stepped over to the stove to rescue the pot of boiling water which was in danger of bubbling over.

"Oh...uh, it was good... got what I wanted to do done... sorry about the short notice."

Kurt's brow furrowed as he picked up on the fact his Dad was acting rather shifty about his whole visit to the state capital.

"So why were you there?" he pressed, whilst his Dad sat at the table and he took to stirring the sauce before it burned. His Dad may well be an OK cook but Kurt just had a flair for the art which meant the older man deferred to his son in the kitchen.

"Just sorting out some stuff... garage stuff... very boring."

Burt had always been an absolutely terrible liar and Kurt was pained to find that his Dad was trying to lie to him now. Not wanting to be the cause of an argument between them however he decided to let it go.

"That's good. So will you be going back again soon?", he'd tried to keep his voice light but he'd seen his Dad's shoulders tense as he'd worked out that his son hadn't bought his cover story.

"Nope. It should all be sorted out now."

Dishing up the spaghetti and sauce into two bowls, Kurt sat himself down opposite his Dad as the pair tucked in in silence.

"So how is everything with you? How is Noah?"

Burt watched as his son set his fork down beside his plate before he replied without raising his eyes from the table,

"Uh... Noah and I... we sort of stopped seeing each other."

"Oh... why?"

"Just... it wasn't working."

Kurt had always believed from an early age that his Dad was incapable of realising when he was dissembling, simply because the older man had never called him out on it in the past.

"That's crap Kurt and you know it. I saw the way you two looked at each other... it... it reminded me of the way your Mother used to look at me."

Kurt's head snapped up from his examination of the tabletop to look into his Dad's eyes. Realising he owed his Dad an explanation he tried to frame his words as best he could,

"Noah's uh... Mom... didn't take too kindly to her son seeing another boy..."

"I know.", said Burt.

Kurt simply stared at his Dad in complete shock, the fork in his hand with pasta wrapped round it long forgotten.

"You know?", asked Kurt almost afraid of the answer.

"Your friend Quinn told me."

"Oh."

_'Need to kill Quinn then...'_

As if reading his mind Burt added,

"Don't blame your friend though, she was just concerned."

"Oh... I won't _blame_ Quinn... I'll just sneak into her house while she's asleep and replace all of her clothes with polyester..."

Burt's deep laugh lifted the slightly tense atmosphere for a moment before he became serious again.

"Thank you for being honest with me son."

"Sorry Dad... I just... it hurts..."

Standing from the table, Burt rounded the table to place a comforting hand on the brunette's shoulder as he leaned into the touch.

"You need anything you let me know."

"I will Dad... I promise."

The emotion of the moment was clearly making the older man uncomfortable as he cleared his throat,

"OK then. Deadliest Catch is coming on. You... you going to be OK?"

Nodding his head, though he still had tears in his eyes Kurt replied,

"Yeah. Don't worry about me."

"I can't help worrying about you. You're my son and I love you.

Smiling Kurt answered,

"I love you too Dad."

Standing from the table Kurt cleared his plate and his Dad's as the older man headed to the den and to his favourite show.

"Oh... Dad?"

The man poked his head back out into the hallway to look at Kurt.

"There's uh... there's a chance I might be taking part in a Glee performance on the last day of semester... would you... would you like to come?"

The older man seemed to be genuinely touched that his son had thought to ask him,

"Get me a ticket and I'll be there.", he said with a definitive nod.

"Thanks Dad... oh and Noah will be over later to practice for Glee... don't give him a hard time... please?" said the brunette before turning back to the washing up.

Burt didn't offer a response to that as his son clearly didn't want to discuss it. Retreating back to the den he fired up the TV and settled in for the evening.

* * *

Noah arrived at the Hummel's at a little after 7. Knocking on the door, he was startled when Burt answered the door rather than Kurt.

"Noah."

The man's voice was cold which surprised Noah unless...

_'Did Kurt tell him we broke up?'_

As if reading his thoughts Burt answered,

"Kurt told me you two stopped seeing each other."

Nodding Noah ran his hand through his mohawk.

"Yes sir... it was... complicated."

"Kurt's in his room..." he said before leaving the door open and wandering back towards the den.

Closing the front door behind him and breathing a sigh of relief that the older man hadn't killed him, Noah quickly moved to the basement stairs and down into Kurt's bedroom.

The brunette was lying on his front on his bed, a magazine in front of him and his iPod headphones in as his legs obviously kicked in time to the music.

The smaller boy jumped slightly as Noah sat on the edge of the bed and ran a hand down the length of the boy's back, coming to rest cupping the boy's ass cheek.

Plucking the earphones out, Kurt smiled up at the jock,

"Hey... I didn't hear you come in."

"Hey... your Dad let me in."

Clearly the expression on Noah's face was indication enough that something had happened with his Dad.

"What did he do?" he asked rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"Oh... nothing. You told him we broke up though right?"

"Oh, yeah... forgot about that." said Kurt with chagrin.

Rolling over and sitting up Indian style Kurt reached a decision.

"I want to go out Noah."

"Oh? I thought we were already..."

"Not go out silly... I want to go back to the jetty to practice."

Considering the brunette's suggestion, he realised that there was no way he was going to be able to deny the boy, especially when he fluttered his eyelashes and pouted prettily.

"OK... OK... jeez, put away the pout."

Leaning down he stole a quick kiss from the boy before standing up and offering the boy his hand.

"Well c'mon then Princess... let's go."

Leading Kurt up the stairs still holding onto his hand, he paused to wait in the hall while Kurt let his Dad know he was heading out.

The boy came back blushing slightly and shook his head before he picked up his cell and keys and they headed out.

The drive up to the country club was pleasant, the sun had yet to set completely and it was unseasonably warm for the time of year. The pair had driven the entire way with their hands clasped over the centre console which had caused some initial problems when Kurt had wanted to indicate.

A short time later the 'vette pulled up beside the path down to the water and the pair got out and walked down to the end of the wooden walkway.

Settling themselves down with their legs dangling over the edge, Kurt wasted no time,

"OK... well I have a few songs that I think might work. Seeing as there's a chance of at last part of a solo I think we'll have to work hard on this project now."

Noah couldn't help but smile at the soprano's enthusiasm for all things Glee.

"OK... let me listen to what you've got."

Taking the iPod from Kurt he popped the earpiece in and pressed play. Several minutes later he looked at the boy with both scepticism and some approval.

"Some of them I like... some of them not so much."

"Well what did you like and what didn't you like?" asked Kurt clearly interested to hear his boyfriend's opinion.

"Well I liked 'All of Me' that was kinda cool, sort of like Sweet Caroline which I totally rocked..." Kurt just rolled his eyes before indicating to the boy to continue, "... I didn't like the Phil Collins stuff... seriously Kurt what is that even doing on your iPod?"

They had worked diligently long after the sun had disappeared below the horizon and the moonlight bathed each of them as they debated the pros and cons of particular musical styles and song choices.

Checking his watch, Noah was shocked to see that it was after 1am and though he was loath to do it he had to stop Kurt.

"It's getting late Princess... we should be getting back."

Kurt pouted before he conceded the point and they packed up their belongings to make the journey home.

Sitting outside the Hummel house, the pair took the chance to share some tender kisses in the darkness,

"Kurt... Kurt... I... I need to go..."

Kurt was busy licking and nipping at the jock's neck and jaw and growled in annoyance as the boy's words sunk in.

Sitting back and pouting he replied,

"Pooh..."

"I'll see you at school Princess, and we can _practice_ again tomorrow..." he said with a leer.

Perking up at the thought, Kurt gave the boy one final kiss before Noah hopped out and climbed into his own truck.

Kurt crossed the yard and stood in the doorway watching as Noah pulled away from the curb and his tail lights disappeared around the corner.

Yawning, Kurt locked up the house before completing his skincare routine in record time. Throwing on his pyjamas and crawling into his inviting bed he couldn't help but smile.

_'Noah loves me.'_

* * *

By the time Noah pulled up at home, the lights were all extinguished and Quinn had probably been asleep for hours.

Letting himself in quietly, Noah toed off his sneakers before stretching and scratching his midriff through his tee. Not bothering to switch on any lights, Noah waited in the kitchen until his eyes adjusted to the gloom.

Wandering past the fridge, he saw the outline of a note pinned up and pulled it down.

Opening the fridge and using the light of the tiny bulb to illuminate the note his stomach dropped.

"_Your Mom called. She'll call back._

_Your stalker girlfriend called. I told her to fuck off._

_Q x"_

Dreading what his Mom could possibly want and chuckling at the frank admission about Santana Noah climbed the stairs, got changed into his pyjama pants and slipped into his bed.

Lying in the dark he considered the events of the day and for the most part they brought a smile to his face. The overwhelming thought that soothed him as he fell asleep was,

_'I love Kurt. And he loves me. Totally a badass...'_

* * *

**A/N: OK, that was actually rather easier to write than I thought it'd be.**

**I have provisionally pencilled in three, maybe four more chapters before this story comes to an end. **

**Thanks for all the reviews with suggestions of how to kill Santana and Lilith. I shall take them under advisement. I am leaning towards having them strapped to a rocket and fired into the sun at this point.**

**PLEASE REVIEW.**


	37. Chapter 37

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

**A/N: My last suggestion of a rocket into the sun has left me with something of a dilemma. I now have a one shot rattling around in the old noggin worked around the lyrics of Rocketman!**

**tmaass – Murdering people as inspiration for a writer only works if I'm writing a detective novel... ooh hey... detective Noah Puckerman hunts for the Maltese Fairy... a missing exotic dancer by the name of Kurt Hummel... I smell a one-shot coming on!**

**Firithnovwen - I hope you mean the shit will hit the fan in terms of plot and not that I'll lose my way and the story will stutter to a rubbish ending :-)**

**Calette - I write so fast because I am the Jellybaby Bandit and everything about me is fast... *blushes*... well maybe not everything...**

**ahem...right moving swiftly on... there's a slight time jump in this chapter, just by a few days though so you won't have missed much of anything.**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 37 - Dum... dum...dum... (dramatic music...)  
**

* * *

Santana Maria Angel de Santos Lopez had always been a naturally suspicious person.

She guessed it all stemmed from the fact that she was a cut-throat bitch and so it was her normal state of being to suspect the worst of people. After all if she didn't then they'd only do to her what she did to them. For the most part being suspicious and ruthless had never steered her wrong but for once Santana hoped she was wrong.

She had caught Aretha shooting her calculating looks and smirking at her during the past few days. That coupled with the fact that Puck had taken to disappearing for hours after school, only turning up at her place after dark, led her to the conclusion that the jock was cheating on her. She didn't know for sure who Puck was tapping behind her back but she suspected it was probably Aretha.

She lay in the dark with her head pillowed on Puck's chest as he snored gently and found that sleep continued to elude her.

She had surprised herself with the realisation that she wasn't angry at the jock for his wandering eye. Well she was angry but more at that he'd thought she was stupid enough that he could get away with it. Hurt however? No she didn't feel hurt at all.

The boy she now had following her around at her beck and call wasn't the same Puck she had known before all this mess with homo explosion began. The Puck she'd wanted had been brash, defiant and self-confident but this new Puck was quiet and subservient and she knew in her heart that he was only with her out of obligation.

She had tried her best. She had schemed and plotted and tried to get back the life she wanted. The life she deserved. Unfortunately Puck had already damaged his rep with his announcement in the lunch room that day. And as it turned out, no matter what Santana did, no matter who she threatened or what stunt she pulled with Puck in a sexual situation where she knew they'd get caught, their rep as a power couple had been irretrievably contaminated.

Puck was supposed to have been her ticket out of Lima and on to greater things. But the more she thought about this new Puck, the more she realised that she wasn't attracted to him. Hell she didn't even particularly _like_ him.

And then there were the raspberries.

That had been the clincher for the Latina. She didn't like raspberries and wore a different brand of lip gloss, yet when she'd kissed Puck one time after he'd come over for their regular play date she'd tasted raspberries on his lips.

The bastard was cheating on her and it had made her mad at first. The resulting sex had been angry and none too gentle.

Shifting off Puck's chest and coming to lie beside him instead, Santana winced as she rolled her shoulder and neck. The downside to rough sex with Puck was that he always gave as good as he got. She was still suffering slightly from the trapped nerve that had been bothering her for days after he'd twisted her up like a pretzel.

_'I came like a train though...'_

She'd considered on a couple of occasions now just dropping the boy. The more she thought about it the more she didn't know whether she even _wanted_ the boy anymore. A spiteful part of her however would fight to keep him even if only to keep Aretha from getting her claws into him.

And then there was the whole thing with Brittany.

Santana had never realised until the blonde was no longer around just how empty and silent her life was. She had no real friends to speak of and the other Cheerios mocked her about being a beard for her gay boyfriend.

She missed the Dutch girl. She hated to admit it but maybe she'd made a mistake in fixating on Puck. What she'd had with Britt had been fun and the girl was now hooked up with that stupid dancing jock Mike.

_'I mean seriously if anyone needed a beard it'd be Mike...'_

Glancing at the clock on the bedside she realised that the solitude of the night was about to be broken. '6.59' turned to '7.00' and she was there in the instant before the rapid beeping started to slap her hand down on the snooze button. She was gratified to see her sudden movement had caused the slumbering Puck to wake with a start.

_'Serves him right the cheating fuck...'_

No, Santana wasn't angry. She wasn't angry at all.

"Get up it's time for you to leave."

Her tone was harsh and she saw a momentary glimpse of the old Puck in the jock's eyes before the flame diminished and was replaced by this new bizzaro-Puck.

Rolling off the bed, Santana stood and scooped her hair back into a ponytail. Watching Puck in the mirror as he shuffled listlessly into the bathroom, she wrinkled her nose in disgust at the subsequent grunt of relief from the boy as he emptied his bladder.

Opening the drawer on her bedside cabinet, Santana looked out her hairbrush before running it through her ponytail to untangle the strands.

By the time the girl was satisfied her hair was tangle free and she had returned the brush to the drawer, Puck had finished in the bathroom and was scratching himself while he searched for a missing sneaker. Santana couldn't help but snap at the boy again,

"Will you _not_ do that? It's disgusting...", she scowled at the boy as he jiggled his junk around. The old Puck would have just stared at her as he redoubled his efforts, however bizzaro-Puck flinched at the sound of her voice and stopped his movement immediately. It just served to piss her off more.

Huffing and pushing past him into the bathroom she called over her shoulder,

"Will I see you tonight?"

She already knew the answer.

"I... uh have something to do but yeah... later."

_'Something to do... yeah Aretha...'_

She switched on the shower with more force than was necessary and shrieked as the cold water splashed back off the tiles and into her face. Glaring at the shower in anger she could feel Puck hovering in the doorway.

"Shouldn't you be gone by now?"

A sigh and the sound of the door closing was the only response she received.

* * *

It had been nearly two weeks now since 'Operation Stun-tana' had been put into effect and Noah was starting to feel the strain.

He felt like none of his time was his own anymore. He spent all day at school with Santana hanging off his arm as she tried everything she could think of to repair their social standing. He'd considered on several occasions just telling her to give it up but she kept at it like a dog with a bone.

Add to that football practice three times a week, glee club three times a week and trying to keep up a relationship with Kurt and it was fair to say he was running on empty.

He'd also noticed in the past few days that Santana was becoming more hateful and cruel, if that was at all possible. And her ire appeared to be aimed at him.

_'Santana always was a suspicious bitch...'_

Her latest crazy scheme to get the school talking had been the straw that broke the camel's back.

"We _have_ to do this Puck... c'mon...", she said while she slipped a hand down to massage his cock through his jeans.

They were currently in the janitor's closet by the Library, which the jock thought was pretty ironic.

_'Me... In a closet... does she not see the problem with that?' _

Santana had ambushed him after football practice with her plan to get them caught having sex in a closet. She honestly thought that possible expulsion would be just the kick-start their rep as a couple needed.

So that's how he found himself standing in a broom closet with Santana pressed against him as she bit and nipped at his jaw. And he felt nothing but contempt for the girl.

"Santana... no. This isn't a good idea."

"Don't argue with me Puck. I will _not_ be called a beard ever again. This... this will show everyone you're the same Puck as before."

She'd slipped the fly on his jeans down and pulled his cock out and tugged on it the way she knew he liked. And she'd continued to do so for several minutes thereafter.

"Puck... what the hell's wrong with you?"

Noah had been as bewildered as Santana was. He'd never had a problem before in his entire life with little-noah not being ready for action. His genuine concern for his prowess warred with the relief he felt at knowing Santana's plan would be foiled.

"I... I don't know." he offered looking down to his limp manhood.

The Latina was clearly unimpressed as she'd given up stimulating his limp appendage before stepping back in the small space and putting her hands on her hips.

"You're not helping here Puck."

The accusation in her tone was clear and for the first time in several days Noah's control slipped for a moment,

"Not helping? I'm the one being manhandled like a slab of meat here! You've done nothing but scheme and plot for days Santana. Face it, our reps are fucked and there's a difference between being popular and being the village bicycle y'know..."

He didn't know what had prompted him to say it, he knew it was overly dramatic and he blamed his boyfriend for his new found penchant for dramatics. He still flinched in discomfort however a moment later.

"You'd better get your priorities straight Puck. Either this goes up...", she said taking a painful grip on his cock and digging her nails into the soft flesh, "... and you commit properly to this relationship. Or you go up. In an airplane."

The threat was unmistakeable and Noah found an entirely new level of loathing for the girl. He was poised to push the girl away from him when his Q-voice, that damned Q-voice, piped up again.

_'You need to apologise Noah...'_

He closed his eyes in the gloom of the closet, both to regain control of his emotions and also because the girl's grip on his cock was becoming painful. He knew the voice was right. He knew if he blew his relationship with Santana she'd see to it that he was shipped off to Utah. Hell she would probably even buy his ticket for him. And so as much as it killed him to do it he hung his head and looked repentant.

The Latina smirked cruelly as the Jock capitulated again. She released her grip on his cock watching as Puck quickly tucked his now red and abused member back into his jeans.

"We'll try this again tomorrow Puck and you'd better be able to perform."

_'I'll be he gets it up for Aretha no problem...'_

The traitorous thought struck Santana like an arrow before she came to a decision.

_'I need to put an end to that and stake my claim..."_

Noah had fled the closet, almost knocking over Miss Pillsbury such was his rush to get as far away from the Latina as possible.

* * *

Santana had smoothed out her uniform, sneering at Miss Pillsbury as she'd poked her head into the closet. The counsellor had squeaked at the glare and had promptly retreated without a word.

Just as she'd finished reapplying her lipstick, she froze as she overheard a conversation taking place by the doors to the Library.

Inching closer to the door, she craned her neck to see Tina and Aretha in mid conversation.

"Oh he's so wonderful girl...", the black girl gushed, "... he comes over every night for a few hours and we just spend time together."

Santana just rolled her eyes at the girl's childish euphemism,

_'Spending time together...'_

"I wish I could spend more time with Artie... but his Mom's a real stickler for 'acting proper'...", she giggled at Mercedes teasing expression.

"So have you?"

The Asian girl looked down and blushed as she nodded.

"Oh my GAWD!" squawked Mercedes before she was hurriedly shushed by a mortified Tina.

Controlling her outburst Mercedes pulled the girl away from the Library doors for privacy and ironically closer to the eavesdropping Latina.

"So... how...how..."

"How'd we do it?" asked Tina her blush still staining her cheeks.

Mercedes had the good grace to look abashed but she nodded. Tina didn't look offended and simply answered,

"Artie's legs don't work... but the rest of him works just _fine_. We're all the same height lying down... ride 'em cowboy...", she quipped before breaking into gales of laughter at the almost comatose Mercedes.

"Earth to 'cedes...", Tina said as she waved her hand in front of the girl's face bringing her back to reality.

Mercedes looked to Tina and replied,

"I didn't mean... you know I love Artie..."

"I know you didn't mean that 'cedes it's cool."

"So..." she said conspiratorially, "... how was it?"

Tina giggled at Mercedes before deciding to play her trump card.

"Let's just say if Artie ever fell forward out of his chair, he'd have a quite handy kick-stand to prop him up..."

"Really?" asked a stunned Mercedes.

Tina just nodded before making a gesture with both hands and the girls broke up in hysterical laughter, only broken up by the Librarian leaning her head out of the door and shushing them.

"Oh girl... you're killing me here!" said Mercedes while wiping her eyes.

It was now Tina's turn to question Mercedes,

"So what about you and your new beau? I'm so happy for you 'cedes."

_'I knew it...' _

Santana was absolutely furious, the girl less than ten feet from her right now was trying to steal away _her _man. I mean, yes she didn't actually care about that but still, she would not have her boyfriend stolen from her by some ten-ton heifer.

"I... he's... well he's wonderful. I'm seeing him again tonight, in fact I should get going if I don't want to be late. He'll be driving over soon."

Nodding and linking arms with Tina, the pair sauntered off in the direction of the parking lot while an indignant Latina schemed.

_'Puck belongs to me for as long as I say so... and nobody... no Weather Girl wannabe was going to steal him from me...'_

* * *

As he'd pulled out of the school parking lot and driven his truck across town Noah had failed to notice the small hatchback tailing him.

He'd pulled up outside the Hummel's and hit the horn before a smile blossomed on his face as his boyfriend came skipping out of the house and climbed into the truck.

Leaning over he kissed Kurt in greeting before the brunette slipped his seatbelt on and Noah pulled away from the curb.

* * *

Santana had been trying to tail Puck for several blocks but she'd gotten caught at a traffic signal while he hadn't. She'd sat impatiently drumming on the wheel while an old lady with a pushcart took her sweet time at the crosswalk.

Finally the light turned green and Santana swung her car around the corner just in time to see Puck's truck pull away from the curb and turn at another junction about a half mile up the road. From the silhouette in the passenger seat Santana could see that her man had picked up his 'date'.

Keeping a reasonable distance back Santana followed the truck as it headed up past the reservoir and the hospital and out towards the golf course.

"Where the hell is he going?" she muttered to herself as she checked on her fuel gauge to make sure she'd be able to get home.

Her ruminating over Puck's destination meant that Santana was not paying attention and when she looked back to the road, she was startled to see the truck had disappeared.

The road was straight as a die for another mile at the least and she knew that she'd not been that far behind the truck.

_'Where did he go?'_

Turning in a wide circle, Santana made to move back the way she had come looking for anything that might indicate where Puck had turned off the road.

Finding the entrance to the narrow single lane track by complete accident Santana turned off and her compact struggled up the hill. There was no other possible place the jock could have driven his truck, he must have come this way.

Cresting the hill, Santana quickly brought her car to a stop while using the foliage of a nearby tree for cover. From her vantage point at the top of the hill she could see the old beat up truck winding down the track road towards the lakeside.

_'So this is where you come to make out with Aretha is it Puck?'_

The girl couldn't help the momentary feeling of jealousy that the entire time she'd know the jock he had never thought to bring her here. It was beautiful.

The truck pulled up and parked with the driver's side door facing flush to Santana. She growled realising she still couldn't make out Aretha's face at this distance.

Unbuckling her belt, Santana got out of the car and crept down the hillside slowly, keeping low to the ground just in case her quarry decided to look back up the hill.

She could see now the silhouette outline of Puck as he hopped from the cab and rounded the truck. She froze and ducked, scratching her hands on the sharp gravel when she lost her footing momentarily sending a mini-rockslide down the hill.

Holding her breath she kept perfectly still hoping not to be discovered.

* * *

The drive up to what Noah was now coming to think of as 'their spot' was just as pleasant as it had been every night for the past 10 days.

The only real bright spot now in Noah's life comprised those stolen moments he could find with his boyfriend. They both were grateful for Noah's Oasis in the middle of the golf course as it was the only place they could relax and not worry about the pressures of their lives.

Kurt had been in a particularly chirpy mood on the drive as he thought he'd found the perfect song for them to perform at the Glee club and then hopefully at the Cheerios Exhibition. He'd rambled on about lyrics and harmonies and costumes and the jock had just smiled at the way the boy's face came to life.

"Easy Princess... don't need you having a heart attack before we blow the other pairs out the water with our badassedness..."

Kurt just rolled his eyes and giggled at the boy,

"Badassedness isn't a word Noah...", said Kurt as you would to a small child.

"Sure it is. They invented it when normal words failed to adequately describe me!"

They both laughed as the truck pulled off the Highway and onto the dusty single track road.

They'd sat for a couple of minutes in the truck just kissing and properly saying hi to each other before Kurt's excitement to perform broke the moment.

Hopping from the truck, Noah made to round the truck to help the brunette from the cab. Pausing and looking back up the hill his eyes focused on a small plume of rock tumbling down one of the steeper sections. Seeing nothing that could have caused it, Noah shrugged.

_'Must have been an animal or something...'_

Putting the thought out of his mind he rounded the truck and with a flourish lifted Kurt from the truck, spinning him in dizzying circles as the boy squealed and laughed.

"Noah... Noah put me down... Noah..."

"Not putting you down Princess... not ever... round and round and round..."

"Noah I'm going to barf all down the back of your neck...", Kurt warned and he was gratified to find his bluff had paid off as his boyfriend practically dropped him down onto the wood of the jetty in his hurry to avoid any potential spray.

"Gotcha..." cheered Kurt as he stuck his tongue out at the jock before dashing off down the jetty in a drunken zigzag pattern, as Noah took a playful swipe at his backside.

* * *

Santana had watched from her hideout as Puck had looked right at where she lay hidden. She breathed a sigh of relief when he shrugged and moved around to the far side of the truck out of sight.

Not wanting to chance another rockfall, Santana decided where she was would have to be close enough to observe. She sneered as she heard a feminine squeal from the other side of the truck before Noah's deep voice drifted on the wind.

"Not putting you down Princess... not ever... round and round and round..."

_'So he calls her Princess does he?'_ she thought spitefully.

She could hear the giggling and the laughter of the pair followed by two sets of footfalls on the wooden planks of the jetty.

Realising she'd never be able to see anything from her current vantage point with the truck between her and the pair, Santana edged sideways away from the loose shingle and crept down the grass embankment instead.

Finally reaching the same level as the truck, she edged closer and settled herself with her back to one of the front tyres. She could hear Noah's voice again from here though Aretha's was too soft to pick up properly.

"Careful Princess... don't want to get your pretty outfit ruined."

She scowled again at the use of the pet name. Princess? More like Queen... as in Queen size!

She could clearly hear soft tinny music being played from a small set of speakers at the end of the jetty now and realised while she'd been fuming silently that the conversation had stopped.

_'Probably making out'_ she thought though she didn't intend to check to see.

* * *

Kurt had raced to the end of the jetty, almost overbalancing and falling into the water when he felt the strong arms of Noah grip him by the waist and haul him backwards.

"Careful Princess... don't want to get your pretty outfit ruined."

He'd pecked Noah quickly on the lips before sitting down Indian style and setting up his iPod and portable speakers.

"Ready?" he asked the jock as Noah settled himself down with his legs outstretched.

Pressing play both boys fell silent as they listened to the soft melody and the lyrics of the song. It was perfect and Noah felt the urge to say so.

"It's... it's perfect..."

The brilliant smile on Kurt's face warmed his tortured soul as he reached out a hand to tug the brunette towards him.

Kurt settled himself on Noah's lap as they lazily kissed and the jock hugged the smaller boy to him.

"We're totally going to win the Glee competition..." murmured Kurt smugly.

"Yes Princess... I think we are."

* * *

Santana had listened to the song as it played and had to admit that it was pretty good. Not exactly Puck's style though, but then his style wasn't exactly all it used to be these days.

The conversation had dried up and all Santana could hear was the occasional smacking of lips or low murmuring. Deciding that she'd had enough of hiding in the dark she intended to stand up and to raise all Hell.

Taking a deep breath she rose to her feet, the hood of the truck between her and the pair on the jetty.

She froze.

_'Oh my fucking God...'_

It wasn't Aretha. It wasn't ten-ton sally. It wasn't the heifer or the Weather Girl wannabe. It was Kurt _fucking_ Hummel.

Her breath escaped her and she collapsed back to the earth with a muffled 'oomph', not picked up on by the entwined lovers just a few metres in the distance.

Getting her breathing back under control and managing her shock, she scrambled back up the embankment and locked herself into her car. In the moonlight she could clearly see the pair as they writhed on the decking.

_'It's obscene.'_

Fishing in the glove box, with shaking hands Santana typed out a short message and hit send. Starting up the engine, no longer caring if she was heard, she reversed the entire length of the dirt track road before with a jolt her wheels met tarmac.

Knuckles white, she gripped the wheel as she drove at speed back in the direction of Lima and her house. Her mind was a jumble but it was starting to clear. Puck was still fagging about with Hummel. Her Puck had... ew... he'd touched Hummel and then slept with her.

She needed a shower, a long one and then she'd consider what to do. One thing was for certain. Noah Puckerman and Kurt Hummel would rue the day they crossed Santana Maria Angel de Santos Lopez.

* * *

Noah had just hooked Kurt's zipper with his teeth when he felt a vibrating in his pants pocket. One that had not been caused by the writhing brunette beneath him that is.

"Shit...", he groaned as he rolled off the smaller boy, who mewled in disappointment.

Fishing in his pocket he flipped open his cell to read the message he'd received,

"_Don't come over. Period. S"_

Snapping his cell shut Noah grinned at Kurt before announcing,

"Looks like you get me all to yourself tonight Princess... Santana's on her period."

The brunette wrinkled his nose in disgust before the thought of spending a full night with his boyfriend quashed his distaste. With a sarcastic little pom-pom wave of a gesture he cheered,

"Yay menstruation!"

Leaning back over the brunette, Noah latched his lips onto the smaller boys before echoing his sentiments,

"Yay menstruation indeed."

* * *

**A/N: Uh oh! Santana knows! Santana **_**knows**_**. SANTANA KNOWS! AHAHAHAHAHA!**

**Poor oblivious little Kurt and Noah – they have no idea what awaits them. Only a couple of chapters left now and maybe a little Epilogue, see how I feel.**

**Hope you enjoy this latest instalment. Today is now one month to the day since I published Chapter One. Thirty-Seven Chapters in a month ain't bad going now is it?**

**It's also only 2154 GMT and I'm about to upload this. I am _so_ looking forward to going to bed, sitting up til after midnight to upload chapters really cuts into my beauty sleep!**

**PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU LIKE. PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU DON'T. JUST PLEASE REVIEW.  
**


	38. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

**A/N: I'm giving serious thought to perhaps working on a 1940s set Puckurt story involving Detective Puckerman and Kurt "Lola" Hummel. For some reason the thought of Kurt perched on a stool in a smoky back room dive, singing sultry songs while Puck sits in a booth with a glass of bourbon and nothing to live for just tickles my writing funny bone. Time will tell if I ever follow through I guess.**

**Thank you for your reviews and to Yvette...**

**I want you to get a kitten for Peaches. I want to you to give Peaches the kitten and I want you to watch as Peaches falls in love with the kitten. Then in the dead of night I want you to sneak into his home and... punch him in the face. How dare his clumsiness break your computer ;-P**

**Chapter 38 – Glee Club Performances**

* * *

There were no words to describe the sheer beauty of the brunette as he lay splayed and panting beneath Noah. The brunette had hinted throughout the evening that he wanted Noah to - 'take that final step' – but the jock had skilfully avoided going through with it and had satisfied his lover in other ways.

"No way does my Princess lose something that precious on a jetty." he'd said as the boy lay panting and red faced beneath him.

"But Noah..."

The brunette had pouted at him and tried to make himself look even more irresistible than he already did with his face flushed and his eyes bright.

Shaking his head though he was seriously tempted, Noah placed a kiss on the end of Kurt's nose before smiling at the boy.

"If you really want to that badly I'll think about it."

He couldn't help but chuckle at the enthusiastic nodding his statement elicited from the brunette.

Sitting up on his haunches, Noah looked down at the boy earnestly.

"I want it to be special though. I've... uh... I've done that kind of thing before... well not with a dude obviously... _ah shit_!"

Noah grimaced as his complete lack of articulation and ran his hand through his mohawk. Taking a breath he tried to finish his thought,

"It'll hurt you if we don't do it properly... I'm uh... much larger than you. I want to... God do I want to... but I want you to enjoy it and doing it here... doing it now, I know you wouldn't. And if you wouldn't, I won't."

He looked to Kurt hoping that his inelegant explanation had been enough to appease the brunette. The boy's eyes were sparkling with tears and for a moment Noah thought he'd screwed up.

"Oh Noah..."

The tears the smaller boy had been trying to hold back spilled over onto his pale cheeks as he clutched at the jock.

"Shh... I'm sorry Princess... I'm sorry..."

"You stupid...", Noah's face fell, "... sweet wonderful man."

The relief on the jock's expression was clear to see as the soprano cried happy tears onto his shoulder and light kisses and nips to his collarbone.

The chill of the night air was starting to become more noticeable as they cooled down from their exertions and Noah reached over to slip his top back on.

Kurt was simply lying on the decking with his eyes closed and a beautific expression on his face. Noah was loathe to disturb the brunette but he knew if he didn't that he'd drop off to sleep and Kurt was cranky as hell if he was woken from a nap.

"Princess... Princess... Kurt!", the smaller boy's eyes snapped open and he glared at Noah who grinned back unrepentant.

_'God I love it when he glares at me'_

"We have to go Kurt... it's getting late."

The brunette groaned as he sat up, feeling the cold more prominently as the sweat on his naked torso was exposed to the breeze.

Reaching out he accepted with a smile, his shirt which Noah had retrieved for him before buttoning it up. Getting to his feet, he bent at the waist to retrieve his discarded underwear, delighting in the pained groan that emitted from his boyfriend at the view.

"You're trying to kill me aren't you?"

Knowing exactly what he'd done, Kurt turned to the boy as he slipped on his underwear, feigning an expression of puzzlement.

"No Noah... not kill me... _fuck me_..."

The teasing smile on Kurt's face vanished as he took in the angry visage of his boyfriend.

"I will never _fuck_ you Kurt.", the distraught expression on the brunette's face combined with Noah's own harsh tone of voice led to him trying to explain.

"I've _fucked_ a lot of people I liked. And quite a few I didn't. I don't want to include you in that list. I don't want to ever _fuck _you because I _love_ you Kurt. I want it to mean more than that."

The first indication Noah got that his words had been well received was a pants-less brunette blur colliding with his chest as Kurt rained kisses down on every inch of exposed skin he could.

"I love you Noah. I love you so much I... I don't have words for it."

Settling down and snuggling against Noah, Kurt mumbled into his chest,

"Soon though. I want you to love me soon."

"Me love you long time..." quipped the jock in an atrocious Vietnamese accent. Kurt giggled before replying,

"You already sucky sucky..."

Sobering up and placing a final kiss onto Noah's neck, Kurt stepped back and collected his pants, hitching the belt and waiting for the jock to slip on his sneakers.

Walking back to the truck hand in hand, Noah couldn't help but marvel at the changes in him the little brunette had brought over the past weeks. Had it really only been 3 weeks since he'd sat shivering and miserable on the Hummel's porch?

Squeezing the hand in his, he smiled at the curious look from Kurt, before popping open the passenger side door and helping the boy into the truck. One final passionate kiss later which left both of them panting, Noah slammed the door and rounded the truck to climb in himself.

Putting the key in the ignition, Noah looked concerned as the engine on the old truck whined but didn't catch. Once, twice, three times he tried all with the same result.

His good mood from the afterglow of their sexual escapades rapidly becoming a distant memory Noah slammed his hands on the wheel before cursing,

"Fuck!"

Looking apologetically at Kurt he sighed and palmed his face,

"Sorry Princess... guess we'll be here longer than I thought."

Rolling his eyes at the jock, Kurt took charge.

"Pop the hood, Noah."

The jock to his eternal shame let stereotypes lead his reaction as he simply raised a disbelieving eyebrow at the brunette.

Noah realised he'd done something wrong when the brunette scowled at him and crossed his arms defiantly.

"Just because I like nice clothes and make-up and I'm gay, it doesn't make me incapable Noah."

"I never said you were incapable..." Noah was truly confused having no idea what he'd said to rile the boy up so much.

"Who's my Dad Noah?"

"Burt... _oh..."_

Clarity was achieved and Noah had the good grace to blush as he ducked his head.

"Yes Noah..._oh... _Burt Hummel the mechanic and owner of how many garages in this town?"

The sarcasm was dripping from every syllable and Noah realised he'd hit a sore spot on the soprano,

"I've spent half of my life working with my dad in the shop. I'm actually qualified to do a full service on this truck and on Lola if I ever wanted to."

Noah didn't bother arguing with the incensed soprano, he simply reached down and pulled on the hood release, the dull clunk as the catch disengaged the only sound other than Kurt's breath through his flared nostrils.

Without a word, Kurt grabbed the handle on his door as he hopped from the truck.

Noah watched as Kurt walked round to the front of the truck before he took his time rolling back the cuffs of his dandy-shirt. Placing his foot on the bumper Noah watched in awe as the soprano hoisted the hood and locked it into it's upright position.

Now unable to see anything other than the pock marked metal of the hood, Noah hopped from the truck himself.

Kurt had by now braced himself fully on the bumper as he leaned bodily into the engine well and fiddled with some leads. Calling over his shoulder to the jock he commented,

"You're going to have to bring this into the shop for me to take a look at Noah... I don't know how this thing kept going as long as it did."

Kurt knew that he would be inciting the other boy with his comments, Noah was just as possessive and protective about his truck as Kurt was about Lola. He was surprised therefore when there was no snappy response from the jock.

Finishing reconnecting the loose lead which had prevented the starter motor from catching, Noah hopped back down to the ground, wiping away some moisture from his cheek.

Turning to Noah, he looked at the taller boy perplexed at the hungry expression on his face.

"Jesus that's hot..." mumbled the jock causing the brunette to blush.

* * *

Noah had stood entranced as Kurt's ass had wiggled to and fro as he'd worked on the engine. The brunette's sinfully tight pants stretched over his perfectly round ass and Noah had to fight that the urge to simply ravish the boy without warning. The desire was so great he had to clench his hands into fists in order to force himself to hold back.

He'd not heard a word Kurt had said about the poor state of his truck as he'd simply drunk in the sight of the smaller boy as he'd hopped down and faced him with a smear of engine grease on his pale cheek.

_'Jesus that's hot...'_

He had no idea that he'd spoken aloud as he stepped forward, his control completely gone. Noah snatched the smaller boy up into a bruising kiss, his arousal pressing firmly into the smaller boy's stomach.

* * *

Kurt deepened the kiss automatically and wound his arms around the jock's neck. He could feel the boy's hard length pressing against him and the realisation that him simply fixing an engine could do that to the boy sent a thrill through him.

Breaking the kiss due to lack of oxygen, Kurt growled as Noah pounced on his neck, licking, kissing and nipping at the sensitive skin.

The larger boy was thrusting his hips against the brunette who was whimpering as each stroke ran the length of his own cock which was hard in his pants.

"Noah... don't stop." panted the smaller boy before mewling in delicious agony as the larger boy's cock butted against his own.

Noah shifted them around until he could grab the bar holding up the hood while still attacking the boy's neck with his teeth. Keeping a firm grip Noah lowered the hood, releasing it an inch above the catch, hearing it lock into place with a resonating crash.

His hands now once again unoccupied he moved them to the front of the soprano's pants, giving the brunette's stiff cock a quick squeeze. Unbuttoning the boy's trousers, he stopped his attack on the boy's neck before concentrating on removing both Kurt's pants and his underwear.

"Noah... I just got dressed..." whined the boy half-heartedly.

Kurt squeaked as Noah bodily lifted him and sat him on the hood of the truck. Stepping into his embrace, Kurt wrapped his arms around the jock's neck as they kissed again, their tongues duelling for dominance.

Noah had been considering doing something for a while now that he ordinarily would never have considered. His lust for the pale boy however drove him to want to be the best lover for his boyfriend that he could.

Reaching between them Noah took a light grip of Kurt's cock, stroking it and making the boy's head fall back exposing his pale creamy throat.

"Lie back Princess..." instructed Noah as he continued teasing the boy's manhood. Running the pad of his thumb over the mushroom head, Noah collected up the boy's precum before popping the digit into his mouth and savouring the taste.

Kurt lay prostrate with Noah's hand pumping gently on his cock, not enough to get him to climax but enough to keep him mewling and on edge.

"So fucking hot seeing you being so manly Princess... my manly Princess..."

Noah was rambling as he nuzzled the soprano's cock before taking the head into his mouth,

"Oh fuck!" cried Kurt as his eyes rolled back in his head. He had no basis for comparison of course but he felt that Noah had to have one of the most velvety smooth tongues in existence.

Noah lapped at the mushroom head of Kurt's cock as he bobbed, hollowing his cheeks on the upstroke and continuing his slow pumping in concert.

Kurt could feel himself coming apart, Noah's mouth was doing heavenly things to him and he was having trouble stringing a coherent thought together.

Tensing, Kurt's eyes snapped open at the new sensation of a finger ghosting over his rosebud. Looking to his boyfriend he saw his eyes asking for permission while his mouth continued it's assault without pause.

Throwing his head back again, he settled in to let the jock do whatever he wanted.

Noah taking this as his boyfriend's assent ran his finger over Kurt's asshole again, feeling the boy's cock twitch against his tongue as he did so.

Breaking his suction, Noah slicked up his index finger with saliva before resuming his sucking and slipping his finger into the crease of Kurt's ass.

Kurt by now understood what Noah intended and though he trusted Noah to be gentle with him he was apprehensive too.

As if sensing this, Noah popped Kurt's cock from his mouth again with a wet smack,

"Don't worry Princess... just relax... and if you want me to stop I will."

Nodding and biting his lip Kurt felt the probing finger rub at his back entrance working the tense sphincter until it relaxed.

He was relieved to find that he liked the feelings shooting through him and straight to his cock, which was standing proud and weeping more precum than he thought it ever had before.

Kurt cried out in momentary shock as Noah's thick finger disappeared into his asshole up to the first knuckle. Noah didn't move at all, just letting Kurt get used to the intrusion. His own erection as hard as steel as he reached down to palm himself through his jeans.

Finally the tightly clamping sphincter relaxed slightly and Noah started to rock his finger back and forth as he gave up stimulating himself to focus on the softly panting soprano.

Wrapping his hand around Kurt's cock he marvelled at how straight the pole of flesh was. Timing his moves to match, Noah slipped Kurt's cock all the way into his mouth in one stroke, as he thrust the remainder of his finger inside the boy.

The result was explosive.

"Oh... fuuuuuuucckkkkkkk... fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.", chanted Kurt as his head thrashed from side to side.

Noah was proud of the fact that he'd been able to swallow all of Kurt's cock as he could feel the spongy head pressing against the back of his throat.

Remembering what he'd read from his research on the internet and being guided by his own innate skill as a lover, Noah took a deep breath through his nose and swallowed.

"Aaaaaahahahahahaha!", It was a strange reaction to have your first time being deepthroated but Noah could forgive his boyfriend's need to let out a hysterical laugh. The laughter gave way just seconds later to a deep howling as Noah squeezed and inhaled as hard as he could while his questing finger found it's intended target.

Curling his finger, he brushed it against the little nubbin and growled in pleasure as he felt the soprano's cock try to leap out of his throat.

"Noah, Noah, Noah, Noah, Noah..." Kurt was delirious with sensation and his hair was matted to his head with sweat. The cold of the night had been completely forgotten as his pale flesh burned for the larger boy.

Brushing the boy's prostate again, he felt the boy tense, his back arching off the hood. Bellowing like a wounded animal Kurt felt his balls contract and he came like a freight train, his vision going white.

Feeling the first pulse from Kurt's cock, Noah pulled back and just he held his mouth in place over the glans as he collected up strand after strand of the boy's offering. The first time he'd tasted Kurt's cum he'd decided he didn't like it, however the more he sucked off the boy the more he came to find he craved the white fluid.

Finally Kurt's body went completely limp save from the rapid rise and fall of his chest. Slipping Kurt's cock from his mouth, having still to swallow Noah withdrew his finger from the boy's ass. He would have been a fool not to notice the slight whimper from the brunette at the loss.

Kurt's eye cracked open as his dazed expression cleared and he focused on Noah's face. The jock seeing his boyfriend was finally lucid again, opened his mouth and displayed his tongue, painted with the boy's seed.

Kurt's eyes widened as he watched the boy's lips close and his Adam's apple bob, before his now pink tongue quested out to lick his lips.

"So... how was that?" asked Noah a wide grin on his face at the brunette's stupefied expression.

Kurt couldn't form words so settled for nodding emphatically with a smile on his face.

Noah bent down and retrieved Kurt's underwear before he assisted the boy in slipping them back on.

Helping the boy down from the hood, supporting him slightly when his legs gave out under him, Noah handed him back his pants and the brunette slipped them back on.

"Will the truck start now?", asked Noah.

Clearing his throat, which was scratchy from his earlier vocal acrobatics Kurt replied.

"Should do... it was just a loose connection."

Nodding Noah helped Kurt into the passenger seat again before climbing into the driver's side.

The pair locked eyes as Noah turned the key and the engine roared to life. Kurt looked satisfied, in more than one way, as he laid his head against the window, his eyes slipping closed.

Noah let the boy sleep as he navigated back up the single track road and onto the Highway. The soprano didn't move other than to shift slightly when Noah took a corner too fast. He never woke though until the truck pulled up outside the Hummel house some time later.

"Kurt... you're home Princess..."

Kurt's baby blues fluttered open and a smile blossomed on his face as he realised who was waking him. Stretching and yawning he looked out the window and saw that the porch light was still on,

_'Dad must still be awake'_

Leaning over the centre console, Kurt kissed Noah trying to convey his gratitude for the earlier act and for being with him at all. Breaking apart, Kurt whispered,

"Goodnight my Prince...", before opening the door and hopping out to head up the garden path.

_'Goodnight my Princess'_, thought Noah as the truck peeled away from the curb.

* * *

Arriving back at his house, Noah saw that the lights were still on despite the late hour. Crossing the yard and entering the kitchen he could hear Q talking to someone,

"No he's not... oh... hang on... yeah... here he is now..."

Walking into the kitchen on the cordless was Q who mouthed 'it's your Mom' as Noah sighed and took the offered handset.

His Mom had taken to calling regularly ever since she had headed back to Utah. Normally their conversations had been emotionless and his responses monosyllabic. Tonight however his Mom's tone of voice gave him pause,

_'Something's wrong...'_

"Ma... Ma... calm down..."

Lilith was clearly freaking out over something but she was too worked up to properly form a sentence explaining what.

_'She can't know can she? Had he been careless? Was she calling to tell him he was to come to Utah?'_

Quinn obviously understood where Noah's thoughts would inevitably lead and she remained by his side offering her silent support. He listened as his Mom tried to control herself and her speech slowly became more coherent,

"Sarah... fall... hospital... dancing..."

_'Shit... something happened to Sarah?'_

"Ma... Ma... what happened to Sarah?", Quinn shot him an anxious look of concern at the mention of the precocious preteen.

Finally Lilith's panic had abated and she spoke clearly,

"Sarah was top of a pyramid... one of the other girls dropped her... she fell... 15 feet Noah... she was so still..." The emotion in Lilith's voice was hard to deny and despite everything Noah's familial instincts won out.

"Is... is she OK?", Noah's voice cracked in concern for his little sister as Quinn placed her arm on his in support.

"They think so... but she's got a broken leg Noah... we're coming home tomorrow... she's going to be heartbroken that she can't dance anymore..."

The tension in Noah's posture lessened at the news his sister wasn't in life threatening danger and he offered a wan smile to Q.

"A broken leg we can deal with Ma... just... just be glad it wasn't worse. What time does your flight get in... I'll pick you up."

"Thank you Noah...", the gratitude in Lilith's voice was completely honest and her tone was warm, "... I was dreading trying to get a cab driver to help get your sister in and out her wheelchair."

"Don't mention it... what time?"

His Mom told him and he wrote it down on the pad by the answerphone.

"Noah... I have to go she's coming around from all the drugs they gave her..."

"Alright Ma... tell Sarah I love her... I'll see you both tomorrow."

Hanging up the phone, Noah let his arms go limp as Quinn embraced him without speaking.

"Thanks Q..." he said his voice husky with repressed emotion.

"So they're coming home? Tomorrow?"

Nodding he placed the phone back on it's cradle and replied,

"Yeah... I'll go pick them up from the airport before Glee tomorrow."

Sighing Noah rubbed his tired eyes before he spoke softly,

"Do me a favour and pick up a couple of tickets for the Cheerios Exhibition will ya?", the blond just nodded in affirmation, "... Sarah will need cheering up if she's going to be stuck in a wheelchair for any period of time..."

Placing a kiss on the girl's temple he brushed past her and padded up the stairs.

"I'm going to hit the sack Q... thanks again..."

Ten minutes later, Noah was passed out asleep on his bed, shirtless and with one shoe missing but otherwise fully dressed.

* * *

Waking the following morning Noah went through his morning routine automatically. As he would have to drive to and from the airport he text Santana to let her know about Sarah and that he'd not be able to meet her before first period for their usual parade through the school hallways.

He never received a reply.

_'Bitch'_

Heading out the door at the same time as Q, she climbed into her yellow Mazda and drove off, while Noah headed to the garage and his Mom's station wagon.

Reversing the old jalopy onto the road he grimaced realising people would _see_ him in this piece of crap. Unfortunately though if he was picking up two people _and_ a wheelchair and bags, he'd need the additional space the wagon offered.

At the intersection, Noah turned in the direction of the airport as he fiddled with the radio trying to find a decent station. Finally giving it up as a bad job, Noah switched the radio off entirely and winced as the act caused the old electrics in the car to make the wipers twitch.

An hour and a half of silence later found Noah sitting outside the terminal in a disabled bay waiting for his Mom and Sarah to appear. Finally spotting the familiar outline of his Mom pushing a wheelchair bound Sarah, he hopped out of the car and jogged over to them.

"Ma...", he nodded at the woman before his attention was stolen away by the miserable looking girl with her leg in plaster.

"Hey Nugget...", he said crouching down and offering the girl a hug.

"Hey Noah..." the girl sounded understandably glum.

"How you feeling?" he asked while ruffling her hair.

A little fire returned as she glared at the jock for messing up her do,

_'She's like Kurt in that way...'_

"Noah... the hair... watch the hair..." she grumbled.

A genuine laugh bubbled up from Noah, partly at the whining tone and partly in relief that his sister, though she may be a bit banged up, was still the same little girl he remembered.

Standing he took up his Mom's former position behind the wheelchair. Ignoring the grateful look the woman shot him, he wasn't doing it for her, he chattered to Sarah to try to keep her spirits up as he wheeled them across the lot.

Getting his sister into the back seat and comfortable was a lot harder than Noah had imagined it would be. Every movement even with the cast on caused the girl pain and it tore at Noah's heart to see the tears glistening in the girl's eyes.

After he'd apologised for about the millionth time, Sarah had snapped at him,

"Just get me in the damn car Noah..."

"Language Sarah..." warned Lilith as the girl in question just rolled her eyes.

"It's going to hurt me one way or the other... just get me in there."

Reluctantly nodding his head, Noah gripped the girl under her arms and lifted.

The girl cried out in pain but just a second later she was safely ensconced along the length of the back seat. Her grateful smile despite the pain she was obviously in caused Noah's heart to warm slightly.

"I missed you Nugget..."

Closing the back door he rounded the wagon and climbed into the driver's seat. Lilith had immediately set to finding her favourite station and the entire journey was taken up by wincing from Sarah as Noah hit a pothole or by Dolly Parton or Kenny Rogers coming from the radio.

"So what classes are you missing this morning Noah?", asked Lilith just as they reached the outskirts of Lima.

"Spanish and Socio-Economics... no biggy..." he answered.

"I have a performance in Glee this afternoon though so I'll have to go in for that. Oh and... there's a Cheerios Exhibition tomorrow up at the school... I got you and Sarah tickets in case you wanted to go. I might, if my performance in Glee goes well, be performing as part of the show."

Sarah perked up as she'd always liked watching the Cheerios when she'd been to see Noah play football – truth be told she preferred watching the Cheerleaders to the footballers. They were so elegant and graceful. She wanted to be a Cheerio when she got older. If she ever walked again that was.

"Oh Mom... can we... please?"

Lilith initially looked sceptical because of the thoughtful gift from her son given their recently fraught relationship. Realising however that he'd not done it with her in mind, she conceded and replied to her daughter,

"Of course we'll go sweetie. Now thank your brother for the tickets."

The girl had clearly spent too long with Q as she affected a coy look which Noah observed in the rearview mirror before fluttering her eyelashes,

"Thank you Noah..."

He just laughed as he replied,

"You're welcome Nugget."

* * *

Kurt was starting to panic and it was not good for him to panic. His heart rate would increase, he'd jump at the slightest sound and he'd gesticulate wildly at the drop of a hat.

The gesticulation part was what got him in most trouble that afternoon. Especially when it resulted in a probable black eye for Santana.

He'd been filling his book bag at his locker while he'd been rambling hurriedly to Mercedes. Noah hadn't arrived at school that morning and he hadn't answered his cell. If he didn't come in for Glee they could kiss their chances of performing at the Cheerios Exhibition goodbye.

Not looking behind him, Kurt had thrown his arms out to the side only to freeze in shock when he felt a meaty impact and heard a grunt of pain.

Turning full circle he couldn't see anyone other than Mercedes in the hallway, before he followed the girl's eye-line. The urge to smile and laugh warred with his genuine shock as he took in the dazed Latina currently sitting on her ass on the floor with a hand over her left eye.

"Oh Santana. Sorry. Didn't see you there see I was panicking and there were the arms and the face and sorry."

The girl just glared at the soprano with undisguised loathing before picking herself up off the floor and stalking off in the direction of the nearest bathroom. The moment Santana was out of earshot Mercedes couldn't keep it in any longer. Her belly laugh reverberated off the lockers and caused Kurt to start chuckling too.

"Oh Kurt... I've wanted to do that to the bitch for days... and you... by accident." The girl was doubled over as big fat tears ran down her face.

Kurt wasn't much better as he tried not to cry however as he'd just reapplied his mascara before Glee.

"I... I didn't mean to... but I _so_ enjoyed it..."

Closing his locker with a bang the pair headed off to Glee.

* * *

Santana had been plotting all morning. She was now aware of her boyfriend's continued dalliance with the school's resident homo. She'd been trying to work out the best way to ruin both Puck and 'the Fag' without sullying her own rather ropey reputation any farther.

She couldn't think of any way to do it. So she'd kept quiet. She'd sat not fifteen feet from the Fag during History and had said nothing. She'd sat not more than ten from him during Biology and had said nothing.

But now... being less than five feet from him as he filled his bag and inanely chattered to Mercedes, she just had to have a pop at him.

Marching up behind him, she glared in warning at Aretha and at the back of the Fag's head as she willed him to turn round. She wasn't surprised then when the boy twitched and shifted rapidly.

She didn't expect him to clock her in the head though.

She landed on her ass on the tiles with a startled grunt. Her left eye was throbbing and she raised a hand to press against the injury. She could see with her other eye Aretha looking at her, with a moronic slack-jawed expression on her face that she'd come to expect from the girl.

She'd watched as the Fag turned in a circle and didn't spot her and had the urge to kick out at him from her position on the floor.

When the boy had finally turned to locate her she'd seen in his eyes the triumph and satisfaction which he'd attempted to cover with his rushed apology.

_'Little homo doesn't think I know'_

Deciding there was no way to salvage the situation, she picked herself up off the floor and stalked away without a word in search of the nearest bathroom.

_'That better not be a bruise'_

* * *

Entering the Choir Room Kurt's stomach dropped.

_'He's not here. He bailed on me. Why would he bail on me?'_

Kurt's shoulders slumped and he collapsed into a chair beside Finn and Tina.

"Hey Kurt... why the long face?" asked the Quarterback.

"Noah's not here... I don't know where he is..."

It was at that moment that Quinn entered the room and made a beeline for the soprano.

"Kurt. Noah will be here. He says he's sorry but Sarah had an accident and he had to go pick up her and his Mom from the airport."

_'He didn't abandon me... oh and I thought the worst of him too'_

Finn and Tina broke from their last minute rehearsal to listen in. Kurt realising he hadn't responded to the blonde asked,

"Is Sarah alright?"

Quinn grimaced and shrugged while Finn asked,

"Hey, how do you know Puck's sister's name is Sarah?"

Ignoring the Quarterback, Quinn answered Kurt's question.

"Broken leg. Could have been a lot worse by the sound of it. I've never fallen from the top of a human pyramid before but I've seen girls who have. It's not pretty."

All four of the assembled gleeks winced at the imagined pain of the impact.

Before they could get any further into their ruminations, Noah came barrelling into the room at speed and out of breath.

"Kurt... sorry... I'm here... sorry..."

Doubled over with his hands on his knees he simply waved at the boy in apology while he tried to catch his breath.

Kurt was prevented from speaking however by the entrance of Mr Schue followed by a sullen Latina sporting the beginnings of an impressive black eye.

The brunette tried to keep a straight face when Mercedes started to giggle beside him. Shushing her and noting the glare Santana shot his way, with more venom than usual, he waited for the teacher to speak.

"OK guys. This is it. What you've all been working towards for the last few weeks. Tomorrow, two of you will perform your song in front of a packed house at the Cheerios Exhibition. I hear that the tickets have all sold out..."

Noah glanced at Q and received a nod to confirm that she'd snagged his.

_'Thank God for that girl... seriously'_

"... so who wants to go first?", finished Mr Schue looking to the assembled gleeks. Nobody was surprised when Rachel's hand shot up and Brittany rolled her eyes.

_'Poor Britt... she must have spent hours with Rachel... need to take her to the spa after this'_, thought Kurt.

Mr Schue tried to hide his grin but he failed miserably.

"OK then. Rachel and Brittany the floor is yours."

The pairs rendition of "When You Believe" was almost flawless, however as they reached the final kick-ass chorus...,

"_There can be miracles  
When you believe  
Though hope is frail  
It's hard to kill_

_Who knows what miracles  
You can achieve  
When you believe  
Somehow you will, how you will  
You will when you believe_

_You will when you believe  
Just believe  
You will when you believe  
Just believe  
You will when you believe" _

…and the final strains of died away, it was clear that Rachel, ever intent on being the star had completely drowned out Brittany's perfectly pitched but much weaker vocals.

By the time the healthy applause had ended, Brittany just seemed relieved that the ordeal was over. When Rachel saw her expression she couldn't help herself,

"Did you not like it Britt? It was your song choice after all."

The blonde girl just stared back at the prima donna, twirling a strand of hair in her right hand.

"Oh no. I like the song. I just hope someone else is chosen. I... working with you is like really hard?"

Rachel's face fell before her own self-confidence caused her to flick her hair and reply,

"I know I'm driven. When you have my talent you have to be otherwise you'll fail to achieve. Maybe you just don't want to achieve as much as I do. That's OK. Some people are happy to be mediocre."

Rising from his chair before his girlfriend could process the heinous insult Rachel had just fired at the Dutch girl, Mike latched onto her hand and pulled her off to the side to provide his own personal brand of critique.

Taking the natural break in the conversation Mr Schue cleared his throat,

"OK. Finn and Tina how about you next?"

Eyebrows were raised when Finn, who had previously shown no interest in playing any instrument, picked up an acoustic guitar and settled himself on a stool.

Tina meanwhile took up position just off to the side of the Quarterback as he counted himself in and the opening bars of 'Leather and Lace' washed over the assembled group while Tina picked up the vocals.

"_Is love so fragile...  
And the heart so hollow  
Shatter with words...  
Impossible to follow  
You're saying I'm fragile... I try not to be  
I search only... for something I can't see_

_I have my own life... and I am stronger  
Than you know  
But I carry this feeling  
When you walked into my house  
That you won't be walking out the door  
Still I carry this feeling  
When you walked into my house  
That you won't be walking out the door"_

As well executed as the vocals were and as stunningly competent was Finn's instrumental accompaniment, there was a lack of chemistry between the Quarterback and the Goth that drew attention away from the power of the lyrics._  
_

_Lovers forever... face to face  
My city or mountains  
Stay with me stay  
I need you to love me  
I need you today  
Give to me your leather...  
Take from me... my lace_

_You in the moonlight  
With your sleepy eyes  
Could you ever love a man like me  
And you were right  
When I walked into your house  
I knew I'd never want to leave  
Sometimes I'm a strong man  
Sometimes cold and scared  
And sometimes I cry  
But that time I saw you  
I knew with you to light my nights  
Somehow I'd get by  
First time I saw you  
I knew with you to light my nights  
Somehow I would get by"_

Kurt also realised that though Finn had dutifully learned the lyrics, he had not given true consideration to what they meant. Sometimes Finn truly did have the emotional depth of a tea spoon.

_"Lovers forever... face to face  
My city or mountains  
Stay with me stay  
I need you to love me  
I need you today  
Give to me your leather...  
Take from me... my lace_

_Lovers forever... face to face  
My city or mountains  
Stay with me stay  
I need you to love me  
I need you to stay  
Give to me your leather  
Take from me... my lace  
Take from me... my lace  
Take from me... my lace"_

The final notes strummed, Finn set the guitar down before standing and embracing the girl in a warm hug. Each of them knew that although their performance had been good, it had not been good enough.

They still received a warm reception from the group however and hearty congratulations were offered to Finn by Mr Schue for having pushed himself to learn to play an instrument. Obviously unused to the praise, the Quarterback had ducked his head in an 'aw shucks' moment that the rest of the group found amusing.

As Mercedes and Matt took up their positions a number of eyebrows were raised at the fact that they were voluntarily holding hands and gazing into each others eyes.

As Brad picked up the opening bars to 'Surrender to Me' from Tequila Sunrise, Kurt realised that they'd obviously chosen the song for sentimental as well as artistic reasons.

"_Is it that we've been together much too long?  
The answer may not be in black and white.  
We're always trying to prove who's right or wrong,  
Yet now we're giving up without a fight.  
But I know when you're gone,  
I'll wish I held on._

_So, baby, surrender to me.  
There'll be no holding back now.  
So, baby, surrender to me tonight._

_I don't want our love to cause you so much pain.  
If this is how it's going to be, I'll walk away.  
Oh, neither one of us should ever say goodbye.  
Let's forget about the past and who's to blame,  
'Cause when this is all gone,  
We'll wish we'd held on." _

Kurt chanced a glance at Noah and saw that he too realised that their friend's performance might be one of the main obstacles to their winning. Mercedes and Matt's vocals entwined in a glorious melange of sound._  
_

"_So, baby, surrender to me.  
There'll be no holding back now.  
So, baby, surrender to me tonight._

_How could this love be in danger  
That used to be so good, so right?  
To think that fate could make us strangers  
Has thrown me in your arms tonight!_

_So, baby, surrender to me.  
There'll be no holding back now.  
So, baby, surrender to me tonight.  
So, baby, surrender."_

Kurt and Quinn were both on their feet applauding before the final note had been sung. The couple had absolutely nailed the song and it was by far the best performance thus far.

Mr Schue was applauding enthusiastically too especially pleased with seeing how the girl had toned her usually oppressive vocals down, in order to allow her more vocally inexperienced partner to take centre stage. It was what he'd hoped Rachel would have learned from her experience with Brittany.

_'Can't win 'em all Will...'_

Announcing a short comfort break, specifically for the benefit of Brad who had been regretting his double shot espresso since the first chorus of 'Leather and Lace'. Mr Schue took the opportunity to go chat up Miss Pillsbury who had wandered past during the last song and had hovered in the doorway.

Leaning over to Mercedes and Matt, Kurt offered his congratulations again,

"That was an awesome performance guys, 'cedes obviously brings out the best in you Matt."

The jock nodded demurely and looked embarrassed but Mercedes simply grabbed him in a lip-lock which left the boy even more speechless than usual and a little dazed. Those that had witnessed the clinch all giggled at the look on Matt's face.

* * *

Santana had been sitting in the corner by herself. She'd told Mike to sit on the other side of the room and had been glaring the entire period at Puck and the Fag. She was getting increasingly annoyed however at their lack of response, or even acknowledgement.

Santana Lopez did not get ignored.

Watching them now she didn't understand how she could have been so blind. The pair even when they were talking to other people, oriented themselves to face each other. They shared coy smiles and brushed fingertips in a way that _looked_ innocent but Santana now realised were anything but.

It made her sick.

The song she'd selected to perform with Mike was one of her all-time favourites and she knew the lyrics off by heart. She hadn't practiced much with 'Other Asian' given she'd spent most of her time with Puck.

_'What a waste that turned out to be.' _

Still she'd given Mike a copy of the song and he'd been instructed to learn his part. It would be OK.

Finally breaking her ineffectual glare she realised Mr Schue had finished his creepy 'eye make-out' session with Miss Pillsbury and that Brad was back looking very much relieved behind the piano.

* * *

"OK guys. We've had three performances so far and they've all be excellent. Now we have another three. After that we'll take a vote on who we think should perform. And just so you know, you can't vote for your own pairing."

The group groaned as their teenage scheming minds had already calculated their odds based on that exact outcome.

Mr Schue just smirked at the group before indicating to Quinn and Artie that they were up.

The pair got into position and the song began,

"_I've been wandering around the house all night  
wondering what the hell to do  
Yeah, I'm trying to concentrate but all I can think of is you  
well the phone don't ring 'cause my friends ain't home  
I'm tired of being all alone  
Got the TV on 'cause the radio's playing  
songs that remind me of you_

_Baby when you're gone, I realize I'm in love  
days go on and on, and the nights just seem so long  
Even food don't taste that good, drink ain't doing what it should  
things just feel so wrong, baby when you're gone"_

Quinn and Artie had worked extensively on a choreography that would work with the lyrics of the song. They had watched the music video where the two singers entered and left rooms never running into each other and they adapted it to their needs.

At points they would face forward not looking at each other before one would look away while the other would look in their direction and vice versa.

"_I keep driving up and down these streets  
trying to find somewhere to go  
Yeah I'm looking for a familiar face, but there's no one I know  
oh, this is torture, this is pain, it feels like I'm gonna go insane  
I hope you're coming back real soon, 'cause i don't know what to do_

_Baby when you're gone, I realize I'm in love  
days go on and on, and the nights just seem so long  
Even food don't taste that good, drink ain't doing what it should  
things just feel so wrong, baby when you're gone"  
_

There wasn't a toe in the room that wasn't involuntarily tapping along with the beat as Quinn and Artie had fun with the performance. As they geared up for the final chorus, Kurt had to place a hand on Mercedes arm to remind her not to join in.

"_Baby when you're gone, I realize I'm in love  
days go on and on and the nights just seem so long  
Even food don't taste that good, drink ain't doing what it should  
things just feel so wrong, baby when you're gone." _

The applause was thunderous as an out of breath Quinn and a red-faced Artie took their bows.

"That was awesome guys. A really good job," enthused Mr Schue.

Quinn wandered over towards Kurt, Mercedes and Noah and received high fives from the lot in congratulations.

"OK. Five down and two to go. Santana and Mike. If you'd please...", said Mr Schue with a flourish.

_'Jeez I'm running low on intros'_, he thought.

* * *

The whole time she'd spent getting ready and in position Santana hadn't taken her eyes of Puck and Kurt. They weren't even paying any attention, sitting as they were side by side sharing glances and smiles.

The music started up and Mike took up his position, ready for his rap. The opening bars of 'Love Of My Life' filling the room.

Her blood boiled when Kurt giggled at something the jock had said and swatted at him playfully. They looked so comfortable together, so carefree. This wasn't the way things were meant to turn out.

Finally zoning back in she realised that the music had stopped and that the group were all looking to her in concern.

_'Shit I missed my cue...'_

"What?" she snapped, instantly defensive as always.

"You missed your cue Sanny...' offered Brittany as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yes thank you Little Miss Clueless..."

"Hey!" objected Mike jumping to his girlfriend's defence.

"Back up out of my face 'Other Asian' or I _will_ drop you."

Mr Schue put an end to the bickering.

"Santana. Mike. If you can't sing this song together civilly I will have to disqualify you."

Santana's attention was distracted away from the Glee club mentor again by giggling from Puck and Kurt. She saw red when Puck bumped his leg against the smaller boy's and he pretended to lose his balance, placing his hand on the boy's crotch and giving it a squeeze.

"_I have had just about as much as I can TAKE!_" she screamed.

Mike took several steps back from the red faced girl and silence reigned and even Mr Schue looked taken aback.

Her outburst had drawn the attention of the pair who had until now only had eyes for each other. Locking eyes with Puck she was pleased to see blossoming fear as he realised he'd been caught.

The Fag just looked scared for the most part.

_'Good. He should_' she thought maliciously.

"Santana? Is everything OK?" asked Mr Schue in genuine concern.

The Latina just looked at their teacher before she started to laugh. Her giggles became hysterics which became guffawing which had the whole room bar two occupants staring at the girl in worry. Controlling her raging emotions Santana addressed Mr Schue and the rest of the room in general,

"No. Everything is _not_ alright. Not even close to being alright. My boyfriend is a _fag_!"

A collective sharp intake of breath from the group was quickly followed by every eye in the room shifting to the pair who had yet to move from their seats.

"So Puck _is_ with Kurt then?" asked a completely clueless Finn. He didn't understand why he was socked in the arm by Quinn just a moment later but decided it was safer to simply shut up.

"Yes. Puck is with _Kurt_..." she spat with venom, "... I hope he was worth it Puck. I hear Utah is nice this time of year."

The colour drained from Noah's face at the realisation that their house of cards had just come crashing spectacularly down around them. He was surprised however when Kurt stood up and took up position protectively in front of him.

"Please... please Santana..." Kurt's tone was pleading, "... don't do this. Please... I love him."

It was time for another round of the intake of breath game as everyone stood in shock at the events that were unfolding.

Quinn and Mercedes had moved to take up sentry positions either side of the pair just in case Santana decided to do something ill advised.

"You _love_ him. You _LOVE_ him?" screeched the Latina, "... that's a joke. You might love him but he'll _never_ love you. How could he possibly?"

The scorn in the girl's voice brought crashing down upon him all of the self-doubts that Kurt had been repressing since his relationship with the half-back had begun. He was rescued from his pit of despair however by a strong voice from behind him.

"I do love him."

All sound in the room ceased as all eyes shifted to the blushing jock. As if gaining confidence in himself, Noah stood and straightened to his full height, towering over the diminutive brunette.

"I love him more than I can possibly put into words. I would do anything for him. Anything for anyone he loved. No questions asked. He is my world now and I will _not_ let you ruin what is the best thing to have happened to me in my _ENTIRE_ life."

There wasn't a patch of skin on Kurt's body that did not have goosebumps at his boyfriend's impassioned affirmation.

Santana for her part simply stared at the half-back in disbelief. That one admission had brought her entire scheming web of intrigue down in tatters. A deadly calm enveloped the girl as a cold fury powered her words,

"It doesn't matter if you love him or not. You _know_ what will happen now."

Noah nodded in resignation before he answered with conviction,

"It doesn't matter anymore. I'm tired of hiding it. I'm tired of being someone I don't want to be just to satisfy other people."

Kurt turned to Noah with tears in his eyes,

"No. Noah you can't..."

Looking at the boy with a gaze filled with love, there wasn't a single person in the entire room that did not believe that the mohawked half-back loved the brunette soprano.

"I can. And I will. I will accept my punishment, I can't change that. I will go to Utah..."

"Wait Utah?" asked Tina, clearly confused. Noah didn't pause to answer the question however,

"... and I will come back aged 18 when I will wrap my arms around Kurt again and kiss him like the world were coming to an end. Face it Santana. You may ruin 18 months of my life, but you cannot ruin all of it."

With that he drew the boy towards him, the plea clear in his eyes, before folding the boy into an embrace and kissing him with every ounce of feeling in his entire body. Their kiss was fiery and passionate and loving and anyone who saw it would have been convinced of the love between the pair.

Santana just screamed in anger before fleeing the room in a flood of tears, the door to the Choir Room banging loudly in the silence.

Nobody went after the girl.

Kurt and Noah were still locked in a passionate embrace and it took Quinn's intervention to bring it to an end.

"Alright already. Knock it off you two!", she said while banging their heads together.

"Ow..." moaned Kurt as he massaged his forehead.

Mr Schue had retreated to the piano to allow the group to sort out whatever it was they needed to sort out. Clearly however Santana and Mike's performance would not be going ahead.

"So you and Puck?" asked Mike.

Safely wrapped up in Noah's arms, Kurt nodded with a shy smile as he gazed up at the taller boy. Noah was slightly more straightforward.

"Yup. Problem?"

Raising his hands, Mike shook his head.

"I think I speak for all of us here when I say we have _no_ problem with this."

Both Kurt and Noah's hearts soared as the entire group all nodded in agreement with the Asian football player's sentiments.

This time it was Noah however who had tears in his eyes as he replied hoarsely,

"Thanks guys."

He was enfolded in a hug from Mercedes and Quinn a moment later.

Realising class time was ending, Mr Schue, though he regretted having to do so interjected into the conversation,

"Puck, Kurt... I realise the last few minutes must have been tough. You are the only pairing still to perform however and I would understand entirely if you didn't feel up to it now..."

Both boys cut the teacher off with the same sentiment.

"We're singing.", said Kurt.

"Can it Mr Schue", said Noah while the group giggled at the dumbstruck expression on the teacher's face.

Recovering himself Mr Schue just smiled at the pair before clearing his throat,

"OK then. Kurt and Puck..."

"Call me Noah. Please."

Mr Schue looked both surprised and pleased before he continued his announcement,

"Kurt and _Noah_, the stage, such as it is... is yours."

The assembled gleeks all took their seats again as the pair took up their positions. They had spent hours rehearing on the end of the jetty, practising their harmonies, honing their choreography.

As the opening bars to 'It's Your Love' rang out the pair stared into each other's eyes. If they were going to be split apart by forces outwith their control, they'd go down fighting.

"_Yea yea  
Dancin' in the dark middle of the night  
Takin' your heart and holdin' it tight  
Emotional touch touchin' my skin  
And asking you to do what you've been doin' all over again_

_Oh it's a beautiful thing don't think I can keep it all in  
I just gotta let you know what it is that won't let me go_

_It's your love  
It just does something to me  
It sends a shock right through me  
I can't get enough  
And if you wonder  
About the spell I'm under  
Oh it's your love _

Noah's vocals were heartfelt and pure and there wasn't a dry eye in the room by the time the first chorus had ended. Mercedes had laid her head on Matt's shoulder and the quiet football player had thrown an arm over her shoulder. Mike and Brittany were in a mirror image, whilst Tina had settled herself in Artie's lap much to the bespectacled boy's delight.

Quinn, Finn and Rachel were all sitting in rapt attention as the second verse started, with Kurt layering his own vocals over that of Noah's,

"_Better than I was, more than I am  
And all of this happened by taking your hand  
And who I am now is who I wanted to be  
And now that we're together,  
I'm stronger than ever  
I'm happy and free_

_Oh it's a beautiful thing,  
Don't think I can keep it all in  
If you asked me why I've changed,  
All I gotta do is say your sweet name_

_It's your love  
It just does something to me  
It sends a shock right through me  
I can't get enough  
And if you wonder  
About the spell I'm under  
Oh, it's your love"_

They had purposefully kept the choreography simple and straightforward in order to match the tone of the song. Their eyes were for each other as they came together in an embrace in the centre of the room, Noah flowing round to embrace the soprano from behind as they sung in unison,

"_Baby, Oh oh, oh,_

_Oh it's a beautiful thing,  
Don't think I can keep it all in  
I just gotta let you know what it is that won't let me go_

_It's your love  
It just does something to me  
It sends a shock right through me  
I can't get enough  
And if you wonder  
About the spell I'm under,  
Oh it's your love  
It's your love, it's your love, it's your love"_

There was no sound in the room, other than the sniffling of Quinn and surprisingly Rachel who had come to rest her head on Finn's shoulder, much to his excitement it seemed.

A single hand-clap split the silence and all eyes darted to see Sue Sylvester standing in the doorway to the Choir Room. Her single clap begot another and another and another until she was standing in applause of the astounding performance she had borne witness to.

One by one the assembled gleeks all shook themselves from their shock and joined in creating a cacophony of soundas Mercedes added a shrill whistle and Matt and Mike chanted 'woop woop woop woop' and stamped their feet.

As the sound tailed off it was Sue who spoke rather than Mr Schue.

"One of my Cheerios game hurtling past me just now complaining of a gay boyfriend."

The group all stared at the Coach wondering where she was going with her statement,

"You all know about my dislike for the 'sneaky gay'. I don't like it, I think it's dishonest and it's disruptive. So I applaud you two, Gay Kid and 'Other Gay Kid'. Well done for not being sneaky anymore. Bravo."

Sue started up her applause again and both Kurt and Noah looked relieved, though Noah mouthed to Kurt – _'Other Gay Kid?'_

The boy just smirked before turning back to Mr Schue who was now speaking,

"So. It's now up to a vote. Who should go forward to perform at the Cheerios Exhibition tomorrow?"

In the end no vote proved to be necessary. As one the group cried.

"Kurt and Noah!"

* * *

**A/N: Wow. My biggest chapter yet – 10,289 words in one sitting. There are now only two chapters left in this story and I feel really sad to know it. I've had such a blast writing for all you guys, more than I ever expected I would. **

**I first started typing 31 days ago with the intention of writing some Puckurt that appealed to me as there wasn't any I was currently reading. I never in a million years expected that I'd become so invested in my own creations that I am actually tearful at the realisation I'm almost finished. It might be corny but as I've written this story I have _been_ Kurt and Noah and I hope in some small way that has transmitted through to you too.**

**There are a number of musical credits for this chapter, more than any other in the entire fic,**

"**When You Believe" by Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston**

"**Leather and Lace" by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley**

"**Surrender To Me" by Robin Zander and Ann Wilson**

"**(Baby) When You're Gone" by Bryan Adams feat. Melanie C**

"**Love Of My Life" by Erykah Badu and Common**

"**It's Your Love" by Tim McGraw & Faith Hill**

**Once again – thank you for continuing to support my writing. I truly have cherished each and every comment, joke, review and request for Santana to die a fiery horrible death. You guys are the best.**

**James x0x0x**

**PLEASE REVIEW**


	39. Chapter 39

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: Ahem... _and now... the end is near... and so we face... the final face-off..._**

**Thank you all for your kind reviews on the last chapter.**_**  
**_

**Well it's been a wild ride. 33 days, 39 chapters, 183,000+ words and now... right now... without further ado, Kurt is going to get pounded into a mattress – Woohoo!**

**WARNING: SLASHY GOODNESS ABOUNDS**

**Chapter 39 – The End**

* * *

The glee club members had all crowded around the winning pair, hugs were given and received, high fives exchanged with manly back slapping included for extra value. And despite the elation of the moment, Noah was scared. Really, honestly and completely terrified.

Santana now knew that he'd broken his pact and he'd admitted to the girl's face that he loved Kurt. The head cheerio was not a vindictive cut-throat bitch for nothing, there was no chance in Hell she'd choose not to exploit any weakness she could for her own benefit. And as far as Noah was concerned, Kurt was the Kryptonite to his Superman.

As he stood now with Kurt wrapped safely in his arms he focused solely on soaking up the sensation, memorising the feel of the contours of the brunette's back, of how perfectly he fit so securely into his arms. Noah truly understood now that Kurt was like a missing piece to a puzzle, the one piece that would complete the jigsaw that was his life.

And it killed him to realise that it was all going to be snatched away from him.

He'd truly believed what he'd said to Santana about returning after 18 months to Kurt. Nobody else in existence could possibly compare and he would wait faithfully until he could see the brunette again and hold him in his arms. He loved Kurt Hummel. Nothing his Mother or Santana could do to him would ever change that.

Until that day came though, he'd have to rely on memory and so he was being hyper-observant of the little brunette, drinking in all he could to help him to keep the fire burning during the long nights in Utah.

Because it was inevitable now that he'd end up in Utah. He knew it and so he suspected did Kurt.

The smaller boy was squeezing his hands in his in a vice-grip that belied the smile he was projecting on his face for the benefit of the other Glee members.

_'He's just as scared as I am...'_

Eventually the party atmosphere died away and Mr Schue excused himself, before trotting off in the direction of the Counsellor's office.

The assembled group also broke up shortly thereafter with Mercedes initiating an embrace with Noah being the highlight. Kurt couldn't help the giggle that escaped him as he took in the half-back standing slack-jawed and with suspiciously wet eyes as Mercedes and Matt left hand in hand.

Quinn had been very quiet the entire time, and was currently tapping on her cell with a look of concern on her face. Catching the girl's eye Noah had asked an unvoiced question and the girl simply snapped her cell shut and looked away before slipping unnoticed from the room.

Finally the room was empty except for Kurt and Noah. Neither boy wanted to be the first to break the silence but eventually Kurt realised he'd have to,

"We're going to be split up aren't we?", his voice was small and timid and the brunette flinched when Noah answered him,

"I... I don't see a way out Kurt... Santana _will_ tell my Mom, there's no doubting that."

Noah could feel Kurt's shoulders hitch and he turned the boy in his embrace as the brunette gripped his tee in desperation.

"I don't want to lose you Noah..."

Gently prying the hysterical soprano's fingers from his tee, Noah laced his fingers with Kurt's and raising each hand in turn placed a kiss against the boy's palms.

"You won't lose me Kurt. I'll be back and we'll be together again. It's just... it's just going to be a while until then that's all..."

Noah tried to sound positive but his voice hitched slightly as his heart broke at the tears that spilled over to run freely down his boyfriend's face.

"I... I love you Noah..."

Dragging the boy into a fierce embrace the jock returned the sentiment, allowing his own tears to spill over,

"I love you too Princess..."

* * *

Neither boy had any idea how long they'd stood in the middle of the Choir Room. Neither boy really cared either. Eventually the tears had turned to dry sobs and the sobs had given way to heavy breathing and both boys had collapsed into separate seats with their heads in their hands.

Kurt had been thinking about something that he wanted to broach with the larger boy but he was afraid of the response he'd get.

"Noah...", his voice was soft and uncertain.

The half-back raised tired eyes to look at the brunette and Kurt almost, almost didn't take the risk. He was standing on the edge of a precipice and he was afraid. He could see Noah looking at him curiously, his eyes shining with love. Taking a deep breath, he leapt,

"I want you to love me."

Noah looked at Kurt blankly before he tilted his head in confusion,

"I do love you Kurt."

Shaking his head at his boyfriend's obliviousness he rephrased,

"I want you to _love_ me Noah...", stressing the word and raising his eyebrows.

A flash of uncertainty mixed with lust passed over Noah's features before his expression closed off.

"We've been over this Kurt. No."

The brunette looked shocked and hurt at the boy's curt refusal.

"I... I don't understand..."

Noah just closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose,

"I won't sleep with you under duress Kurt. I want it to be special, not something we're forced to do before we're ready."

Noah was surprised by the vehement tone of the soprano's voice however, so much so that his eyes snapped open to take in the boy's expression,

"I _am_ ready Noah. I want you to make love to me. I want to make love to you. I want you to be tender and gentle and I also want you to pound me into the mattress until I can't take it anymore."

There was no denying the fire in the soprano's eyes which warred with the blush staining his cheeks at the suggestive nature of his words. In the end Noah knew he could never deny the boy. The smaller boy's final plea however broke him,

"Please Noah?"

"OK".

Clearly not expecting the jock to capitulate Kurt had kept talking,

"It's not like I've not given this thought Noah. I have.. a lot... wait... what?"

Finally the soprano's brain kicked into gear,

"I said OK", said the clearly amused half-back.

"OK?... You... you will?"

The larger boy just rolled his eyes at the stunned Kurt before confirming again,

"I will."

The realisation that his boyfriend had just agreed to have sex with him for the first time left Kurt drifting on a sea of uncertainty as to how to proceed. He'd not expected for the jock to give in so readily.

"OK... great... I mean yeah... so... how?"

Noah couldn't help the chuckle at the look of elation mixed with confusion on the brunette's face.

"Well, I thought I'd get you naked, maybe suck your cock for a while, then stretch you out and...", the wide grin on Noah's face increased further as the soprano realised he was being teased.

"Jackass..." he said with a huff, the twitching of his lips belied his own amusement however. Sobering, "...I want to do it tonight."

Noah wasn't surprised by the suggestion. If they were truly going to go through with it, they'd have to before his Mom found out about them. Otherwise he'd be on a plane faster than it took to strip the pale boy naked.

"Tonight, OK. What about your Dad?"

Kurt had been prepared for the question,

"Poker Night, Dad will be gone."

Noah's last objection died on his lips as he conceded that he was going to go through with this.

"I'll uh... I'll need to stop at the drug store."

The brunette blushed as he understood what Noah was making reference to before mumbling,

"I... I have everything you'll need..."

Running his hand through his mohawk Noah conceded he'd need to go home and shower and change. If he was being rushed into this at short notice he was damn sure that he was going to go into it looking 100% badass.

"I'll uh... I'll see you at 7 then?"

The brunette considered the time before replying,

"That will be fine...", his voice squeaked at the final word as his nervousness shone through.

Standing and placing a kiss the Kurt's forehead as he passed, Noah swept out of the room to leave Kurt sitting with only his thoughts for comfort.

_'I'm going to have sex with Noah Puckerman'_

* * *

Noah had gone straight home from school, not really paying any attention to how, as his truck careened through the streets of Lima.

He knew if he was lucky he could get home, changed and gone again before Santana could spill the beans. Noah knew the Latina would want to do it in person, she had always been a dramatic bitch.

Pulling the truck up in front of the house he killed the engine and hopped from the cab. Schooling his features into an expression of nonchalance, Noah crossed the yard and entered the kitchen.

"Hi Noah..." greeted Lilith as she lifted a tray of cookies from the oven and set them on the counter, smacking the back of the jock's hand as he made to snag one.

"Ma... I'm a growing boy...", he protested.

_'Thank God! She doesn't know yet...'_

Lilith just shook her head at her son before motioning to Noah to take one.

"Just one mind...", she warned.

"Thanks Ma..." he said, palming a cookie and tossing it from hand to hand as it was still fiery hot from the oven.

_'Bitch'_

Turning and making his way to the living room, Noah's felt his mask slip momentarily and he hurried away before his Mom could see the utter contempt he held for her on his face.

Spotting Sarah on the couch in front of the TV, with Tyra Banks strutting around like a peacock, Noah didn't have to fake the smile like he had with his Mom.

"Hey Nugget...", he said ruffling Sarah's hair and placing a kiss on the top of her head as stood behind the couch.

"Hey Noah...", said the girl with genuine cheer though her eyes never moved from the screen.

Noah turned to search the chest under the window for his black dress shoes, finally finding them at the bottom under an old kite.

"So how did your competition go Noah?", asked the little girl, pressing mute on the TV.

Straightening up with a triumphant expression Noah smirked at the girl before striking a superhero-style pose.

"We won of course, was there ever any doubt?"

Sarah just laughed at her brother's antics as she congratulated him.

"Oh it's going to be so cool... will Quinn be there? Do you think she'd let me wave her pom-poms?"

"I'm sure she would if you asked."

"Cool..."

Noah's smile dimmed slightly as Lilith entered the room with a plate of cookies,

"So why do you need black shoes Noah? You haven't worn them since Mrs Jefferson's funeral."

"We won the Glee competition Ma. I'll be performing at tomorrow's Cheerios Exhibition."

Nodding, Noah was surprised to see a look of distaste on her face.

"So you'll be singing and dancing with the Hummel boy right?"

Understanding dawned on Noah at what exactly Lilith had a problem with. He felt justified however in being a little defensive,

"Mr Schuester chose the pairings randomly. We were the best and we we won the vote."

Lilith noted the defiant fire in her son's eyes and decided this wasn't a battle she wanted to engage in, her relationship with Noah was already fraught enough as it was.

Santana had been keeping her updated and she was relieved to know that her son was now back on the right side of the tracks. If her own relationship with Noah never recovered that would just have to be the price she paid for instilling proper moral values in the boy.

"I... I need to take a shower. I'll be heading back out after – final rehearsal y'know..."

Without waiting for a reply, Noah brushed past his Mom and fled up the stairs to get changed.

* * *

Kurt had driven home in a daze.

_'I'm going to have sex.'_

He grinned at the thought as he turned onto his street and his house came into view,

_'I'm going to have sex with Noah... tonight...'_

The butterflies that had been ever present in his stomach since he'd first broached the topic in the Choir Room were in full flight as he pulled into the drive, breathing a sigh of relief that his Dad was already gone.

Entering the house, Kurt fled to his bedroom in a hurry,

_'So much to do... so much to do...'_

He literally ran around his bedroom setting things up properly, changing the sheets on his bed, closing off the blinds on the windows, dimming the lighting and lighting little tea-light candles throughout the room.

Standing back to admire his work, Kurt couldn't help but feel pride. His bedroom was awash in candlelight which bounced off the white walls casting shadows. This was somewhere that he'd want to lose his virginity and he hoped that Noah would appreciate his efforts.

Going to his CD collection, Kurt spent a good twenty minutes drifting between discs.

_'What do I want? What's the right music? Will Noah like this? Will Noah like that?'_

His musing was interrupted by his cell vibrating on the vanity counter. Making a decision, Kurt popped the disc into the player and hit play.

"_Old man there people stare  
Thinking back to God knows where  
Always back to where he's been  
I have seen I have seen_

_Time goes so slow  
Days come and go  
But I know, yes I know" _

Kurt felt his shoulders relax as the gentle sound of Zero 7 washed over him. Nodding in satisfaction he adjusted the volume to be audible but not intrusive and checked the clock.

"Oh God. I only have an hour and a half... I'll never be ready in time!"

Grabbing up his cell he hurriedly tapped out a response to Mercedes assuring her that he was alright and that Noah was coming over.

Hurrying into the bathroom, Kurt turned on the shower, while he tried to organise his thoughts,

"OK... shower, exfoliate, moisturise, moisturise, spritz and done..." he listed before slipping out of his clothes and under the spray.

_'God there isn't enough time...'_

* * *

Noah meanwhile had been extremely efficient in his movements. He'd been in and out of the shower practically before he'd gotten wet and had shaved... _everywhere_.

The jock had never dreamt of the pleasurable sensation of a well shorn scrotum. He'd decided to leave a small patch of hair above his cock but otherwise he'd shaved off what he could reach and had used his Mom's depilatory cream to get what he couldn't.

_'Serves the bitch right that I'm using her stuff to make myself more appealing to a dude...'_

A few minutes later Noah was almost finished, he was bent double as he applied the final load of cream.

_'Waxing your own ass crack is hard!'_, he'd thought with some amusement.

He'd finally been happy with the result however and he hoped that Kurt appreciated the extra effort he'd gone to.

Wrapping a towel around his waist, Noah slipped from the bathroom and padded across the hall and into his bedroom.

Hooking his foot around the door to close it behind him, Noah unhitched the towel and threw it on the bed. He was just about to pick up his deodorant when he heard a mortified squeak from behind him.

Spinning around in shock, Noah took in the bright red and horrified expression on Q's face as she clapped her hands over her eyes.

"_Fuck!_"

Noah scrambled to grab up the towel which he held in front of him protectively like a shield.

"Jesus Q... what the fuck?", he asked as the girl as she peeked through her fingers and satisfied she was no longer going to get first hand view of little-noah, dropped her hands to her side.

"Sorry... so sorry... I was... the window... and you came in so fast... and you're... no hair... and what?"

Quinn clapped a hand this time over her rambling mouth as Noah regained his equilibrium.

"What did you _want_ Q?" he asked and the girl glared at him for his impatient tone.

"I _wanted_ to see if you were alright. Forgive me for caring about my best friend."

Noah realised he'd been too harsh on the girl and made to embrace her. He couldn't help the chuckle however as Q dodged to the side and backed away from him.

"You're all naked Noah, I'm not hugging you...", she giggled as he made another playful lunge for her, keeping the towel in place at all times.

Sitting down on the edge of his bed, he raised his hands in surrender and the girl, who had been backed against the bedroom door and looking for a means of escape, relaxed.

Q wanted to know if he was OK. Was he OK? Hell no. Running his hand through his mohawk in agitation,

"I... no I'm not alright Q. Ma doesn't know yet..." he clarified, "... but that doesn't surprise me. Santana will want to tell her to her face."

"What are you going to do?"

"There's nothing I can do. As soon as I get outed I'll be shipped off to Uncle Raymond's with the morning post."

"Surely there's something..."

Noah was already shaking his head. He'd given countless hours of thought to what he could do to prevent his Mom from following through on her threat. She was his legal guardian and he was still a minor at the end of the day. What she wanted, she got.

"We both knew this would happen someday. I had hoped it'd be after I was 18... but it wasn't to be."

Noah's head sunk into his hands as Quinn perched on the bed beside him and drew him into an embrace.

The boy didn't cry, simply leaning against Quinn's shoulder as he shook violently. Finally his shaking abated and Quinn had to ask the question that had been on the tip of her tongue.

"So Noah... no hair? What gives?"

She felt the boy tense in her embrace before chuckling.

"I... uh... I'm going to sleep with Kurt tonight..."

"Oh."

Realising this was a big deal for the jock, Quinn tried to be supportive but she realised why this was happening now of all times.

_'They're scared they'll never get the chance otherwise'_

"So what's the plan?", she asked expecting fully that the boy had put no thought into it.

She was to be surprised.

Motioning to the bed behind them, Quinn saw the dress pants and white shirt laid out and waiting for Noah.

"I... uh... I've had to rush my prep... but... I'm going to take flowers... and I'll maybe dance with him a bit... I wanted it to be so much more special than it's going to be."

The disappointment in the boy's tone was evident to the blonde and she was about to scold the boy when he continued to talk,

"... but I'm sleeping with my boyfriend for the first time. A boyfriend I'm in love with. The rest of the romantic crap doesn't really matter. All I need is him and a bed and I'll show him how much I love him."

Quinn was pleasantly surprised to find that Noah 'got it'.

"My God, Noah... I think you might have just grown up..."

Giggling, she nudged the taller boy with her shoulder causing him to crack a smile.

"Go on... get dressed, I'll not look..." promised the blonde as she angled herself towards the window.

Rising and rounding his bed, Noah slipped on a pair of silk boxers he'd received as a gag gift last Christmas and sworn he'd never wear.

"_Silk underwear isn't badass..." _he'd stated at the time.

Slipping on his pants and securely fastening them, Noah buttoned up his shirt, rolling the cuff's back to stop mid forearm.

Finally a pair of black socks completed his look as he slipped on his leather dress shoes.

"You can turn around now Q..."

The blonde turned her attention from the window and examined Noah's choice of outfit.

"Try tucking the shirt into the pants...", she suggested as the boy did exactly that.

Standing and crossing to face the boy, Quinn grabbed one side of the shirt and pulled upwards, leaving the shirt-tail on one side hanging loose over his belt buckle.

"There... much better." she said in satisfaction.

"I'm glad you approve.", drawled Noah earning himself a glare from the blonde.

"So what time do you need to go?"

Checking the clock Noah jumped in alarm,

"Shit. I need to go like, right now."

Placing a kiss on Q's forehead Noah, grabbed up his bag with a change of clothes in it, rushed from the room and down the stairs and called over his shoulder to his Mom and Sarah that he was off out.

* * *

Kurt had taken a long shower, he'd scrubbed every inch of his porcelain skin until it had a healthy glow and had moisturised using his favourite vanilla scented cream.

Picking out an outfit consisting of loose black cotton pants that flared at the knee and combining it with his favourite striped dress shirt and waistcoat, he knew he looked good enough to eat.

_'And hopefully Noah will...'_ he giggled as he applied his raspberry lipgloss.

The Zero 7 CD had since run it's course and had been replaced by a Prince playlist from Kurt's iPod as 'Kiss' played softly from the speakers.

Hearing the doorbell ringing, Kurt took a deep breath before ascending the basement stairs.

_'It's time...'_

* * *

Noah stood on the doorstep at Kurt's and he'd never been more nervous in his entire life.

He'd stopped at the florist on his way over and had been able to persuade the owner to keep the shop open past closing time to help him put together the perfect bouquet. Roses and Lilies joined with bits of grassy stuff that Noah didn't really see the point of, but the florist assured him they were necessary.

They were damn expensive too as it happened.

He was sure the girl had charged him double but as he stood on the doorstep with the bouquet secreted behind his back he realised he would gladly have paid twice as much again, if it was guaranteed to make the brunette smile even just for a second.

_'God I'm turning into such a girl...'_

Noah's heart was hammering in his chest as he heard Kurt's high pitched voice cry 'just a minute' before the door was being unlocked and opened and...

"Holy fuck!"

The brunette blushed prettily as Noah stood speechless after his outburst. Finally shaking himself from his stupor, he whipped the bouquet round and presented it to the boy.

"You... you're beautiful Princess..."

Accepting the bouquet, Kurt sniffed the roses before stepping back and letting Noah across the threshold.

"They're lovely Noah... you shouldn't have."

"Nonsense..." he waved it away, "... you're my Princess and you deserve the best."

"I'll just put these in water, make yourself comfortable."

As Kurt sashayed in the direction of the kitchen, Noah wandered into the den. Spotting the wet bar in the corner, he hit upon a plan.

_'Alcohol... that's what I need...'_

Grabbing up a crystal glass, Noah poured himself two fingers of Scotch before quickly downing the glass in a single gulp.

Sighing as the alcohol reached his stomach and a pleasant warmth suffused him, he started to relax slightly.

He had just secreted the bottle of Scotch back in the cupboard when he heard Kurt's soft footfalls on their way back from the kitchen.

Standing in the doorway to the den, the brunette took in the sight his boyfriend presented. He looked _yummy_.

"You... you dressed up for me Noah... you didn't have to."

"I...uh... I wanted to."

Each boy was aware of the elephant in the room and were trying desperately to clutch at alternative topics of conversation.

"So... your Dad's gone then?" asked Noah, flinching slightly when he realised that his query could be taken two ways.

Thankfully Kurt just nodded before motioning with his head.

"Would you... would you like to come downstairs?"

Despite having just drunk a glass of Scotch just moments ago, Noah felt his mouth go dry and had to clear his throat.

"Uh... sure..."

Kurt turned and headed towards the stairs while Noah dragged himself after the brunette, unable to take his eyes off the boy's ass, in those evil pants that clung to him and fit him like a glove.

"Evil..."

"What's evil Noah?", asked Kurt looking back over his shoulder as he punched in the access code to his door.

Noah blushed as he realised he'd been caught,

"Your... your ass in those pants... the pants are evil..."

Now both boys were blushing in equal measure as they descended the stairs into the bedroom proper.

As Kurt crossed to his bed, Noah simply stood at the bottom of the stairs marvelling at the transformation in the brunette's bedroom.

Soft music was playing from the speakers in the corner; 'Raspberry Beret' by the sounds of it; the lights were dimmed and the candlelight caused shadows to dance across the planes of the smaller boy's face.

"You're so beautiful Princess...", whispered Noah reverentially.

Kurt just kicked off his ballet slipper shoes and reclined on the bed. Beckoning to the taller boy, Noah stumbled across the room to stand beside the bed.

"I... uh I had always planned for this to be different...", said Kurt as he looked away, "... I had the childish dream y'know. The romantic dinner, the candlelight, the walk in the park and the kiss. And then the night of unbridled passion."

Noah looked distraught as he realised he wouldn't be able to give the boy what he had dreamed of. Not looking at the jock, Kurt had no idea of the pain his words were causing his boyfriend.

"But... I realised. That was a dream and I don't want a dream. I... I want you Noah... Any way I can get you."

Looking up at the boy with such adoration, Noah felt his resolve crumbling.

"Make love to me Noah", pleaded Kurt his arms outstretched.

Kurt didn't even really register Noah moving; one second he was standing by the bed looking down at Kurt, and then next he was on the bed with him, his mouth ravaging Kurt's own and his hands buried in Kurt's now messy hair.

Kurt moaned and Noah drank the sound up, twining his hands in Kurt's hair and tilting his head to the perfect angle to allow his tongue to slip into Kurt's mouth and stroke against the brunette's own tongue. This wasn't about one person being dominant over the other, this was a mutual affirmation of love between the pair and though they were fired by a mutual passion, neither fought to be the aggressor.

Kissing Santana had never been like this noted Noah; so frantic and utterly all-consuming. He felt like he would die if he ever stopped kissing the little brunette who was now clawing at his shirt and trying desperately to hike it out of his pants.

Kurt's cock was already harder that it ever had been before and he moaned again as his hips started to rock forwards and back, trying to find some friction. Noah swallowed the sound as he slid a hand down from Kurt's hair to grab his ass and pull them flush together.

"Fuck!" Kurt swore into Noah's mouth as his cock met the jock's thigh and he felt the other boy's erection against his stomach, rigid and huge.

Shifting to cover the smaller boy's body with his own, Kurt mewled piteously as he thrusted upwards in search of friction to satisfy his straining erection. Noah however was too strong for the boy as he simply held the boy down and breaking the kiss moved to attacking the pale skin of his neck and throat.

"Is this what you want Kurt? Did you dream about this?" Kurt whimpered as Noah's hand tightened in his hair.

"I had fantasies about you y'now, about your hands... your mouth on my _cock_?", Noah didn't know where the dirty talk was coming from but from the reaction he was getting from the brunette beneath him it was being well received.

"Fuck yes!" The brunette gasped, his nails clawing down Noah's back as the jock thrust against Kurt's arousal,

"Oh _fuck_ yes!", they cried in unison.

Pulling back from the embrace, Noah fumbled with the buttons on his shirt, finally giving up and ripping the shirt from his chest, causing buttons to pop off and shower both Kurt and the surrounding area. Tossing the now ruined material to one side, Noah raised Kurt off the bed and chuckled as he was warned by the breathless soprano,

"This is a D&G original Noah... no popping buttons..."

Carefully unfastening each button Noah revelled in each strip of pale skin that was revealed to him, taking his time to kiss and nip the exposed skin between buttons.

Finally undoing the shirt, Noah slipped it from the smaller boy's shoulders and tossed it to the floor. Kurt would have ordinarily complained at the poor treatment of his clothes but he was too far gone now. The fire that Noah was stoking within him was so intense he felt like he would burn up if he ever stopped.

Reaching up, Kurt grabbed Noah by the head and dragged him back down into another kiss, feeling their bare chests come into contact in the process.

Breaking contact with the brunette's mouth, Noah began kissing and biting Kurt's neck.

"Love you so much Kurt... gonna show you soon... make you mine...", Noah was growling into the boy's ear as he thrust against the smaller boy's body and licked at the shell of his ear.

Shuffling down Kurt's chest until he reached the younger man's already pebbled nipples, Kurt mewled as the jock lathed each in turn with a singular fascination and the smaller boy writhed beneath him.

"Yes _fuck_... yours... always yours... Noah..."

The boy squeaked as Noah snaked a hand between them to press against the smaller boy's prominent erection.

Talented fingers made light work of the clasp on Kurt's belt and the fastenings on his pants, before Noah's large hand slipped beneath the waistband of the soprano's underwear to wrap around Kurt's hard cock.

"Oh... God Noah..." panted Kurt as the jock gave his cock a quick squeeze.

"Too many clothes..." murmured Noah as Kurt mumbled in incoherent agreement.

Sitting back, Noah undid the buckle on his own pants before struggling out of them and his underwear. Hooking his hands either side of Kurt's own opened pants, Noah pulled so swiftly Kurt took a moment to check his legs for friction burns.

Both boys were now completely undressed and as they came together in another fiery kiss Noah lined up his cock with Kurt's and thrust against him.

"Ohhhh..." panted Kurt as he rode the wave of sensation.

It was Noah's turn to be surprised however as Kurt hooked his legs around the larger boy and rolled them until he was on top.

Gazing down at Noah, he could feel the boy's hard length which was now pressed between their stomachs. Shifting his hips slightly, he felt Noah's groan as the friction stimulated the head of his cock.

Leaning down and languidly kissing the mohawked teen, Kurt slipped inch by inch down the bed, stopping to pay particular attention to the jock's hard nipples.

"Fuck Kurt..."

Looking back up the boy's body Kurt couldn't help but quip,

"In a minute... now hush you I'm busy..."

Sliding further still, Kurt came to rest between the jock's splayed legs. Noah's monstrous cock was laying against his stomach, pulsing and twitching in time with his rapid heartbeat.

"What do you want Noah?", whispered Kurt as he took a grip of the half-back's cock.

"God... Kurt... please..."

"Please what Noah?", Kurt was starting to enjoy being in the position of power.

"Please suck my cock!"

"OK!", chirped the brunette before the head of Noah's cock was engulfed by warm, moist heat.

"Oh Jesus shit _motherfucker_ yes!"

The feeling of his cock disappearing into Kurt's warm mouth caused temporary Tourette's in the jock as he squeezed his eyes shut and breathed heavily through his nostrils.

Kurt loved the feel of Noah's cock in his mouth and how it rested at the back of his throat sometimes gagging him. Kurt could never go the whole way down, despite the number of times he'd now done this to the other boy, he was still only just learning. He knew his limits however and found that being gagged and smothered by Noah's cock caused the blood to rush to his own cock in response.

_'God I'm such a cockslut'_

When Kurt's jaw began to get sore at being stretched around the mammoth head of Noah's cock, he popped it from his mouth and started licking gentle strokes up and down the length.

Noah's loud moans joined his hands, which fisted into Kurt's messy hair. From his position between Noah's legs, Kurt was able to look up into the jock's glazed eyes.

"Noah... If you don't watch I won't keep going..."

If there was one thing Kurt loved more than anything else it was the look of absolute adoration on Noah's face as his wide eyes stared at him, watching.

"Fuck… fuck… I'm watching... watching..."

When Kurt was sure his jaw was well rested, he flicked his tongue across the tip, gathering up the bead of precum. Evening out his breathing he decided to try something he'd never done before, gazing into his boyfriend's eyes he had to warn the larger boy,

"Keep your eyes on me Noah... I'm going to do something both of us will love and I want you to just go with it OK? I want you to cum for me Noah..."

Noah had no idea what Kurt was going to do but his cock was so red, so swollen, so hard right now he just wanted to find relief. Nodding he watched as Kurt shifted position before deepthroating Noah's cock for about two thirds of the jock's hard length.

"Oh _fuck_ yes!", Noah growled like a caged animal.

Kurt could feel the head of Noah's cock just at the entrance to his throat and he swallowed.

Noah's hands gripped Kurt's head making him stay down and gag on his monster cock, streams of spit escaping Kurt's mouth as tears formed in the brunette's eyes from the action. Five seconds became ten and ten became twenty before he was gliding back up the man's cock as Noah cried out for him, his body convulsing.

As he'd fully expected, Noah's cock twitched before rope after rope of creamy, sticky cum pooled out into Kurt's mouth. Struggling with his previous lack of oxygen and with his boyfriend now trying to drown him, Kurt managed to swallow most of his boyfriend's cum while a small amount was left to trickle out of the corner of his mouth and down the length of Noah's still pulsing cock.

Sitting back and looking at Noah whose eyes were still wide and fixed on him, using a finger he collected up the sticky white cum he'd been unable to contain and offered the digit to the dazed jock.

Kurt had no idea what possessed him to do it and he was equally shocked when Noah drew his finger into his mouth, wrapping his tongue around it like a little cock until it was all clean.

Noah's breathing was heavy as he looked at his boyfriend in awe,

"Fuck, Kurt... that was... that was _awesome!_"

Kurt couldn't help the little giggle at the look of complete stupefaction on the half-back's face as he slithered back up the length of Noah's body to lay flush against him, little-noah temporarily out of the game. Placing a lazy kiss on the jock's lips he smiled as Noah simply groaned.

"You... nobody... God... you've broken my brain Kurt!"

The brunette couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up as he joined his boyfriend who was chuckling too.

Finally having gotten his muddled brain back in the game, Noah pushed the brunette onto his back before sliding down his body.

"My turn..." he grinned as Kurt just raised a challenging eyebrow,

"This better be the best damn blowjob I've ever received Puckerman... I'm high maintenance after all..."

His declaration disappeared into a high-pitched squeak as Noah wasted no time in engulfing in it's entirety, the brunette's hard cock.

"O...K... so you got lucky...", he sighed as his head lolled back.

Noah's skill at giving head had improved quite a bit since that first time with the little brunette. Holding the cock in place around the base, Noah concentrated on stimulating the mushroom head, hollowing his cheeks to provide a little suction.

The aim wasn't to get the boy to cum, if it were he would have swallowed the boy's cock into his throat and squeezed the way he knew the brunette couldn't resist. No the aim was to have the boy panting and so desperate for release that he'd be relaxed when they moved to the real intended end to their lovemaking.

Several minutes later, Noah had felt Kurt approach his climax and had slowed and kept the brunette on edge on a half-dozen occasions.

Popping the cock from his mouth caused Kurt's shuttered eyes to fly open and a moan of disappointment to escape him,

"Noah... please...",

Grinning at the brunette Noah just shook his head, while he considered how best to proceed.

"Roll over.", he instructed and the soprano's eyes widened as he realised what was to come. Noah could see the apprehension on the boy's face and he sought to quell it,

"Hey... it's alright Princess... if you want to stop..."

Kurt was face down in the pillow with his little ass in the air before Noah could even complete the sentence.

"Alright then... that's conclusive...", he said as he took in the delicious sight.

Positioning himself on his hands and knees behind the boy he instructed,

"Part your legs Princess."

Kurt did so without argument and was rewarded with the feeling of a wet tongue sliding the length of his crack before focusing on his rosebud.

"Ohhh..." Kurt moaned, at the new sensation the jock was bringing out in him.

The fleshy muscle ran circles around his opening, sometimes pressing, sometimes licking, Kurt could feel himself relax however, until the first finger slipped in past the tight ring of muscle.

"Oh crap..."

Noah froze with his finger deep in the brunette's ass,

"OK Kurt?", he asked in concern.

The brunette looked back at the jock over his shoulder and bit his lip before nodding,

"Surprised me is all..."

Noah took his time, working one, two and then against his better judgement, three fingers into the brunette.

Kurt's world had spun completely off it's axis. It all felt so incredible, his ass was stretched and was burning, but in a pleasant way and his cock had never been harder in his entire life as he thrust himself backwards on the jock's digits.

"OK Kurt... I think you're ready... get onto your back..."

The apprehension returned as Kurt rolled onto his back and looked up into the eyes of his lover. Noah pressed kisses to each of the boy's eyelids as he whispered,

"It'll be alright Kurt... trust me."

_'I do trust him'_

Kurt's eyes which had previously been uncertain hardened with a determination as he nodded to the boy. Noah reached to the bedside and scooped up the bottle of lube and a condom.

"No condom Noah... I want to feel you this first time... not latex..."

Seeing that arguing with the boy wasn't going to get him anywhere, Noah discarded the little foil square and squirted a good amount of lube onto his now fully restored erection. Raising Kurt's legs onto his shoulders, Noah shuffled forward until the blunt head of his cock made contact with the brunette's virgin entrance.

"Please be gentle Noah...", the fear in the boy's voice was heart-rending and he gazed with love into the soprano's eyes before pressing forward slowly.

Kurt's slicked up entrance welcomed Noah and after a couple of seconds of resistance, the fat head of his cock popped past the ring of muscle.

Kurt's head lolled back as he hissed at the intrusion, stretching him further than Noah's fingers ever had.

Inch by tortuous inch, Noah sunk into the brunette, taking his time and ensuring that he wasn't hurting the petite boy beneath him.

Kurt felt like he was being split in two, his ass was burning. He could feel every bump and vein on Noah's cock and he felt so full he was sure he was going to burst. Just as he was about to protest that he couldn't take any more, he felt Noah's forward motion come to a stop with the boy's heavy balls resting against his ass cheeks.

"Are you OK?", asked Noah, a glean of sweat on his face as he tried to control the urge to start pumping frantically.

_'Jesus it's so tight and hot...'_

"Just... give me a minute..." panted the brunette as he tried to ride out the waves of spasms in his lower body. Finally satisfied that the pain was dulling to an ache he spoke,

"OK... go slow."

Noah bit his own lip, his self control slipping, as he withdrew about a third of his length before thrusting back into the boys moist channel.

"Oh God..." they both moaned in unison as Noah leaned down to take possession of the smaller boy's lips.

Noah kept up his rhythm as Kurt squeaked every so often as his large cock bumped against his prostate. Noah was relieved to find that Kurt was becoming more animated and was raising his hips up to meet the jock's thrusts.

"More... faster..." moaned Kurt into their kiss as his nails raked down Noah's back.

"Your wish... my command Princess..."

Noah was right on the edge, he could feel his orgasm approaching and he desperately fought it off as he increased the pace of his thrusting.

"Oh... _shit..._", moaned Kurt as Noah's harder strokes applied more pressure to his prostate. Kurt's own cock was hard and bouncing between their sweat slicked bodies and he could feel the climax he'd been denied now for over an hour threatening to overtake him.

"Noah... can't... have to... so good... please."

Kurt had lost all coherence as his head thrashed from side to side and the sensation overwhelmed him.

Leaning down to the brunette's ear, Noah growled,

"Do you want to cum Princess?", his husky voice caused the brunette to twitch and the tight walls of his channel, squeezed almost painfully hard on the jock's cock. Noah could feel his own balls churning and knew the end was coming... _fast_.

The brunette was nodding and biting his lip and pleading with the half-back to let him cum. Taking pity Noah sped up his thrusts until the boy was vibrating with pleasure as he wrapped his hand around the boy's cock and pumped in counterpoint to his own thrusting.

Ten strokes later and Noah felt Kurt tense around his cock. The brunette soprano howled as if in pain as he convulsed and spilled hot sticky fluid all over his boyfriend's hand and stomach.

The added pressure around Noah's cock was too much for him as he drove into Kurt, deeper than he had previously and his cock twitched and bucked, depositing rope after rope of cum into the smaller boy.

Noah's shaky arms could no longer keep him elevated and he collapsed, his full weight coming to rest on top of the soprano. Each boy panted and tried to catch their breath as Noah placed a chaste kiss on his boyfriend's lips.

Realising that he was unintentionally smothering the smaller boy, Noah rolled to the side his now soft cock slipping from Kurt's ass with a wet plop. The brunette winced slightly at the quick withdrawal before he settled himself with his head pillowed on the jock's chest.

Noah grabbed the sheet which had been pushed down to the bottom of the bed, before drawing it up and over them as Kurt placed a kiss to his chest.

"Thank... thank you Noah... that was... that was perfect... I love you."

Placing a kiss on the top of the smaller boy's head Noah mumbled sleepily,

"Love you Kurt..."

Both boys drifted off into sleep their arms and legs entwined.

* * *

The morning of the exhibition Kurt woke bright and early. His ass burned and he winced slightly as he padded naked into the bathroom, leaving a still comatose Noah sleeping in the bed.

Turning on the shower, he looked at his reflection in the mirror. He didn't look any different, the same blue eyes, the same pale skin, the same rosy red lips. He was the same, but at the same time he wasn't the same.

_'I'm no longer a virgin'_

Stepping under the spray Kurt sighed as the heat sank into his aching muscles. His solitude was interrupted by Noah stumbling into the bathroom a couple of minutes later. Standing over the toilet he let out a sigh of relief as a steady stream of liquid arced into the water in the bowl.

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh..."

The brunette couldn't help but giggle at the look of relief on his boyfriend's face and watched as Noah jumped slightly clearly not having realised Kurt was watching.

Giving little-noah a vigorous shake, more for the benefit of the spying Kurt than for any other reason, Noah washed his hands before turning and hopping up onto the counter.

"Morning Princess."

"Good morning Noah...", Kurt suddenly looked bashful as the jock took in the delicious sight of his boyfriend all wet and soaped up.

"How are you? You're OK? I didn't hurt you?"

The concern laced in the boy's tone caused Kurt to smile reassuringly,

"A little sore but a good sore... you were wonderful last night Noah."

"You were wonderful yourself Princess."

Hopping from the counter, Noah made to slip into the shower with the smaller boy, wrapping him in an embrace. Kurt was too sore for them to consider a repeat performance of the prior night's activities whilst under the spray, however they shared tender kisses and stroked each other to completion, before washing each other thoroughly.

As they both entered the bedroom in fluffy white towels, Kurt moved to his vanity while Noah moved to his bag to fetch his deodorant.

The smell of 'Axe' permeated the air as Noah's can sprayed a stripe across his torso.

Kurt meanwhile had sat gingerly on the stool in front of the vanity and slipped on his headband. Picking up a cotton pad he began cleansing his pores while he watched the jock in the reflection.

Noah was slipping on his jeans and doing up the buckle when Kurt chose to break the silence,

"Santana will have told your Mom by now..."

Kurt watched as the taller boy grimaced before nodding in agreement,

"Good chance, yeah."

Neither boy spoke further on the subject as neither felt like torturing themselves with something they were powerless to prevent.

Gentle touches and chaste kisses were exchanged as each boy concentrated on memorising every detail of the other.

Finishing their morning routines, both boys ascended the basement stairs hand in hand.

Neither Noah or Kurt felt like having breakfast, as a deep melancholy overtook them. Each boy hopped into his respective vehicle in unspoken acknowledgement that if they were going to be split apart, they'd each need their own transport afterwards.

The drove single file to the school, and neither could help drawing the comparison between their journey and that of a funeral procession.

* * *

Noah was in complete shock.

He'd arrived at school and walked in with Kurt and nobody was looking at him strange. There were no whispers, there was no pointing and sniggering.

Nothing.

Looking to Kurt he raised a single eyebrow in amazement.

Something was very wrong.

The same pattern had continued all day – nobody said anything to him and Noah began to feel certain that Santana had kept her mouth shut.

_'It's so unlike the girl...'_

* * *

Kurt had seen the Latina hovering out of the corner of his eye on a couple of occasions that morning and was surprised when the girl just smirked and walked away.

It was... unnerving.

Mercedes was unusually quiet that morning and Kurt figured it was because she understood Santana was going to rip her friend's heart from his chest and feed it to the wolves.

The whole atmosphere in the school was off as far as Kurt was concerned. It was like the moments before a thunderstorm, where the air is rampant with static electricity. You knew something was going to happen, but you weren't sure exactly what.

* * *

The morning had passed in a daze for Kurt as he'd sat in his classes and waited for the other shoe to drop.

Santana had sat herself not ten feet from him during Biology and for the entire period he'd tried to catch her eye, tried to gauge what game she was playing, but the Latina stared fixedly at the classroom board or at her own textbook. It was maddening.

Mercedes could tell that her friend was becoming increasingly unsettled and that her own nervousness wasn't helping much. There were no words she could offer to the small brunette however that would comfort him in any way and so she kept her counsel.

As the pair made their way to the gym for the Cheerios Exhibition, Mercedes had a horrible thought and hoped she was wrong.

_'She wouldn't...'_

* * *

Noah and Kurt stood off to the side of the gym behind a screen which had been erected for the performers.

The stands were crowded and full to bursting as the heavy dance music with it's booming bass pounded out of the speakers. Glancing at the crowd Kurt could make out his Dad sitting a few rows from the back, next to Quinn of all people, and trying not so successfully to look as though he wasn't bored out of his mind.

A slight smile graced the soprano's face as he took in his Dad's slack face and glazed eyes. It meant a lot to the brunette that his Dad would take the time out to come see him perform.

Noah meanwhile had scanned the crowd and had focused on his Mom sitting at the front with Sarah in her wheelchair. They were just a few feet down from where Artie watched on with Tina at his side. He couldn't help but smile at the rapt expression of awe on his little sister's face as she took in the spectacle, while she held onto her own pom-poms, supplied courtesy of Q.

The Cheerios were coming to the end of their final routine, a complicated circus themed number involving Cheerios with top hats, Cheerios with whips and chairs, Cheerios on stilts and as the crowning glory, Santana – as head cheerleader - perched on a trapeze and swinging lazily above the crowd.

As the music came to an end and the Cheerios all completed their routines with a flourish, Kurt and Noah shared a glance realising that they were up next.

They both realised that this would most likely be the final time either of them got to express exactly how they felt about the other before Santana would bring their world crashing down on her. They listened as the thundering applause of the crowd died down and a breathless voice sounded over the PA system,

"Thank you. Thank you all for your warm applause. As Head Cheerleader of the Cheerios it falls to me to thank...",

_'Santana's doing the PA announcements?'_

Noah's eyes widened as his mind provided various scenarios that could now unfold and he saw that Kurt was starting to panic, his breathing becoming shallow and rapid.

Checking about him, Noah was satisfied that they were the only two performers backstage and wrapped the boy into his arms.

"Easy Kurt... just breathe..."

The smaller boy shook in Noah's embrace as he tried valiantly to conquer his nerves.

"I... I don't want to go out there Noah...", he whispered into his chest, "... if I go out there I'm going to lose you."

The misery in the boy's voice tore at the jock's heart but there was no further time for comfort as Santana was coming to the end of her spiel,

"... and so I have been given the honour of presenting to you, a duet from two of the members of McKinley High's Glee club. It's certainly going to be _interesting_..."

Both boy's stomachs dropped as their worst fears were recognised,

"introducing from New 'Homo' Directions, Kurt Hummel and his boyfriend Noah Puckerman..."

The crowd for the most didn't realise that Santana was making a mockery of the script she'd been given by Coach Sylvester the day before and applauded warmly.

Taking a deep breath each boy walked out, hand in hand, as they took centre stage and the opening bars of the song floated gently from the speakers.

Noah had tried not to look at his Mom's face but he couldn't help it. What he saw caused his blood to run like ice and he almost missed his cue, only managing to recover himself at the last moment,

"_Yea yea  
Dancin' in the dark middle of the night  
Takin' your heart and holdin' it tight  
Emotional touch touchin' my skin  
And asking you to do what you've been doin' all over again_

_Oh it's a beautiful thing don't think I can keep it all in  
I just gotta let you know what it is that won't let me go_

_It's your love  
It just does something to me  
It sends a shock right through me  
I can't get enough  
And if you wonder  
About the spell I'm under  
Oh it's your love"_

Watching his Mom's face as it turned steadily more puce, Noah could tell that the woman wanted to scream at him, to storm the stage and to give him what for.

He was gratified however that Sarah had noticed his Mom's tense posture and had engaged her in concerned conversation. The woman had obviously offered a curt dismissal to the girl as she turned back to face front, tears glistening in her eyes.

_'Fucking bitch... I'll kill her for making Sarah cry...', _thought Noah as Kurt's vocals now were added to the song, wrapping around his own perfectly,

_Better than I was, more than I am  
And all of this happened by taking your hand  
And who I am now is who I wanted to be  
And now that we're together,  
I'm stronger than ever  
I'm happy and free_

_Oh it's a beautiful thing,  
Don't think I can keep it all in  
If you asked me why I've changed,  
All I gotta do is say your sweet name _

_It's your love  
It just does something to me  
It sends a shock right through me  
I can't get enough  
And if you wonder  
About the spell I'm under  
Oh, it's your love _

Kurt had sent out a silent plea as he'd watched the byplay between Noah and his Mom. She was clearly enraged and Kurt could see her fingernails digging into the palms of her hands as she glared at him with an expression of complete loathing.

The lyrics of the song were tearing at his heartstrings as he realised that this was the end. There would be no more stealing kisses, no more snuggling into the larger boy's strong embrace, no more waking up in his arms in the morning.

Kurt's voice cracked momentarily in the build up to the final chorus as he'd turned to face Noah and saw the absolute desolation in the other boy's eyes,

"_Baby, Oh oh, oh,_

_Oh it's a beautiful thing,  
Don't think I can keep it all in  
I just gotta let you know what it is that won't let me go_

_It's your love  
It just does something to me  
It sends a shock right through me  
I can't get enough  
And if you wonder  
About the spell I'm under,  
Oh it's your love  
It's your love, it's your love, it's your love..."_

There was a momentary silence in the hall as the music died away before the assembled crowd were on their feet, applauding and cheering and whistling. Neither boy heard it however as they stared into each other's eyes, both offering apologies to the other for what might have been and what they were now sure to lose.

Pulling the smaller boy into his embrace, Noah tilted Kurt's face up to meet his as the smaller boy's tears started to flow. Raising his hand and wiping away the salty liquid, Noah bent his head down and claimed Kurt's lips.

The kiss was filled with regret, with passion, with love and Noah could feel his own shaky emotional control slipping and wet tears run down his face.

Barely seconds later their embrace was shattered by the feeling of a clawed hand wrapping around Noah's arm and spinning him around.

The noise from the crowd initially drowned out his Mom's voice before the assembled observers realised something was going on and the sound died away as they tried to listen in,

"How _could_ you Noah? I raised you right... to be _normal_... and you shame me in this way and in public no less..."

"Ma... don't...", pleaded Noah but Lilith was not to be dissuaded.

"Don't? _Don't?_ Why not? I warned you Noah... I told you what would happen if you didn't drop this little tramp..." she said motioning towards the silently crying brunette. The crowd thanks to the microphones still pinned to both Kurt and Noah could hear the entire exchange and gasped at the venomous tone of the woman.

"Ma...", growled Noah in warning at the older woman.

Noah seeing that Kurt was upset drew the smaller boy into his embrace, and felt the boy cry against his chest, his shirt becoming wet with his tears.

"So this is how it's going to be Noah?"

He didn't bother to reply to the woman, just glared at her defiantly. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the other members of the Glee club coming to stand behind him in solidarity.

"Fine. You'll be leaving for Utah first thing in the morning."

The defiance in Noah died as he hung his head dejectedly. Lilith's next outburst was delayed slightly by a confused and tearful Sarah who had roped Tina into pushing her up onto the raised platform in the middle of the stage,

"Mommy... what's going on?"

The little girl was clearly confused and didn't understand what was going on as Lilith turned to speak to the preteen,

"Your brother is going to be going to live in Utah with your Uncle Raymond. Say your goodbyes now Sarah, you won't be seeing him again."

The little girl clearly didn't understand as she cried softly in her chair. Kurt didn't object any when Noah broke from his embrace of the soprano and moved to kneel in front of the crying girl.

Kurt was startled to find strong arms embracing him once again and he looked up into the compassionate face of Burt, with Quinn standing just over his shoulder looking concerned.

"It'll be OK Sarah, I'll see you again soon you'll see..."

"B-but... why Noah? I... I don't want you to go... please don't make him go Mommy."

Kurt's heart was breaking as he tried to control his breathing against his Dad's strong chest. He'd listened as Lilith had torn into her son and then as little Sarah had asked her tearful questions and pleaded with the woman.

"Sarah! I said say goodbye and then we're leaving.", snapped Lilith.

Hearing the woman's harsh reply a little fire returned to the brunette and he straightened out of Burt's embrace and turned to face Lilith.

"Don't you speak to Sarah like that... you should be ashamed...", the words were softly spoken but they cut through the air quite effectively.

Lilith looked supremely offended that Kurt would even consider trying to speak to her as she spat back,

"Don't you _dare _tell me how I should raise my children, you little deviant..."

The crowd gasped again and Lilith suddenly realised that their private conversation was not so private after all.

"Now hold on a minute lady...",

Burt was clearly incensed as he stared down the smaller woman in front of him. Lilith just sneered at the man before dismissing him entirely,

"This is none of your business and I'll thank you to keep your nose out."

"I beg to differ... that 'little deviant' you referred to is my _son_."

Lilith's eyes widened in shock as she took in the so _normal_ looking Burt Hummel.

"Aren't you ashamed? Having a son like that?"

Burt's voice was cold as he fired back,

"The only person that should be ashamed is Noah, for having a Mother like you."

Lilith's jaw dropped open and she paled before Noah spoke softly but with conviction,

"I am."

A sharp crack rent the air as Noah's face turned sharply away in response to his Mother's slap.

"I have no son.", she announced viciously causing Sarah's sobbing to redouble in volume.

Gathering up what little dignity she had left she turned to Sarah,

"Come on Sarah, we're leaving. Noah I'll expect you home in an hour to pack your things."

Lilith had rounded Sarah's wheelchair and was trying to disengage the brake when Quinn stepped forward,

"Mrs P?", Lilith looked at the girl and sneered,

"Oh it's you is it? The little girl my faggot of a son got pregnant."

The assembled crowd were sitting in rapt silence watching the drama unfold.

"I just thought I'd let you know... your little stunt with Noah? Blackmailing him into being someone he's not...", Lilith shot a look of betrayal at her son and Quinn smirked, "... oh yeah he told me..."

The woman looked furious as all eyes in the room focused on her with a good few expressions of scorn being directed at her.

"Well I knew this day would come and I refuse to allow you to ruin my best friend's life."

Lilith was a proud woman and the scornful stares she was being currently subjected to made her want to snap back at the blonde,

"There's nothing you can do you little prissy bitch. Noah is my son. He'll go where I say he goes. And there's nothing you can do about it."

Burt took the opportunity to interject however,

"Quinn may not be able to do anything but I _certainly_ can."

The small smile on Quinn's face caused Lilith momentary pause, as at Burt's prompt the blonde reached into her bag and extracted a small sheaf of papers, which she offered to Lilith,

"You see... I'm not someone to cross Mrs P... nobody crosses Quinn Fabray and doesn't come to learn the error of their ways. When Noah told me what you'd done I went straight to Mr Hummel."

Kurt's eyes snapped to his Dad who winked at him conspiratorially as Quinn continued,

"You see... Mr Hummel loves his son... and so when his son's happy, so is he. Noah makes Kurt happy. Mr Hummel therefore will do anything he needs to to make sure Kurt and Noah remain happy. It's a simple equation really."

The woman snatched the folder from Quinn's outstretched hand before she started leafing through the various documents,

"You'll find in there, courtesy of Mr Hummel's attorney, copies of an application to prevent you removing a minor over state lines, an application for emancipation of a minor, a sponsors application for change of guardianship – all of these forms _will_ be lodged by Mr Hummel's attorney the moment you try to force Noah to be anyone other than who he is."

Lilith's jaw was hanging open as Quinn finished her speech, closing her jaw with an audible click she proceeded to shred the documents, spilling paper confetti all over the gym floor.

"These _documents_..." she sneered, "...are a nonsense. I won't be bullied and Noah will be going to Utah until he turns 18."

As if she'd expected such a reaction from the older woman Quinn looked feral as she reached into her bag once again.

"I thought you'd say as much..."

Attempting to hand over a second sheaf of documents, which this time Lilith turned her nose up at, Quinn flipped the folder open before continuing,

"Lets see... application for state lines, emancipation, guardianship... oh wait... these aren't for Noah Puckerman... Mr H... is this a mistake?...", she said looking to the older man with a grin, "... These forms say they're for Sarah Puckerman..."

Quinn looked positively evil as she smiled at the shell-shocked woman in front of her.

_'And Quinn Fabray knocks it out of the park...'_

Lilith's eyes met Burt's cold challenging stare as she realised the magnitude of the shitstorm she was liable to incite. She didn't have the finances to go to court to defend an action raised by Burt Hummel; and she knew that the older man had more than enough cash available to him that he could keep her tied up in Court for months if not years.

Sarah's tears had long since dried up and she was simply watching the byplay in fascination, not truly understanding what was going on but realising Quinn was fighting to help save her brother.

"Mommy am I going to live with Mr Hummel?"

The softly spoken question seemed to shake Lilith from her shock as she looked for the first time in several minutes at the scared face of her youngest child.

"No honey, no you're not going to live with Mr Hummel.", she soothed, a note of concern entering the woman's voice, at the thought of the possibility.

Looking at Burt, she tilted her head,

"You'd take my children from me?"

Burt tilted his head in acknowledgement,

"Only if you leave me no other choice."

Lilith knew she'd been beaten. Noah had too many friends willing to go to emotional and financial lengths to defend him. Sighing she addressed Burt,

"Will you take him in?"

Kurt and Noah looked at each other as Burt considered the question before turning to Noah,

"You like Deadliest Catch son?"

"It's one of my favourite shows sir."

"Good. Then it's decided, you'll move in with us."

An explosive burst of air escaped from Kurt who had been holding his breath for what seemed like hours but was only a few seconds. Mercedes moved to link her arm through the smaller boy's afraid he might pass out any second.

"You'll allow Sarah to see Noah whenever she wants?"

Quinn was making sure all the loose ends were resolved.

Nodding in defeat Lilith conceded and Sarah offered a thankful smile to the blonde, receiving one in return.

Lilith's voice was soft, defeated, as she clicked the release on the wheelchair's brake and said to Sarah,

"C'mon Sarah, lets get you home."

Nobody stopped the woman as she wheeled her daughter out of the hall and towards the parking lot.

The crowd realising that the spectacle was over started to mill about and file from the hall too; a myriad of looks were shot at the group in the centre of the floor, but none of them paid them any mind.

Kurt stared at Noah from across the short divide before, letting out a desperate moan,

"Noah..."

The larger boy was across the floor before the boy could finish and had swept him up into his arms, swinging the boy in circles and causing the boy to giggle.

"I'll barf... Noah... Noah... I'll barf..."

Setting the now dizzy boy down, he lent down and took possession of his lips, pouring every ounce of relief he currently felt into the action. Before they could get carried away however Quinn 'Cold Water' Fabray had to break them up.

"OK... knock it off or get a room..."

Both Kurt and Noah looked at each other before deadpanning,

"We'll take the room..."

The assembled group chuckled as the last of the stands emptied and silence reigned,

Kurt turned to his Dad before he thumped him in the chest with his fist punctuating each word,

"You. Went. To. Columbus. To. See. Your. _Attorney_. I thought you were sick and at a hospital."

Chuckling Burt grabbed up his son's hands before he could inflict any damage to him.

"Yes and I'm sorry for keeping the truth from you son. Quinn here pulled me aside after I took you all for lunch and explained. I had to do something."

Kurt shot the blonde a grateful look before he giggled as Noah engulfed the girl in a bearhug, spinning her round and round.

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you...", he chanted as he placed kisses all over the girl's face.

Laughing as she was spun around, Quinn beat her fists against Noah's chest,

"Welcome welcome welcome... now put me down you Neanderthal..."

Setting the girl back down but refusing to release his grip on the girl, Noah wrapped an arm over Quinn's shoulder before placing a kiss on her temple and murmuring,

"Love you Q."

The blonde's brilliant smile was evidence enough that she returned the sentiment.

"Anyway... as I was saying..." said Burt walking over and placing a hand on Quinn's shoulder,

"After this vicious little creature explained what Lilith had threatened, I went straight to my attorney's office...", Quinn grinned at the vicious comment, "... It wouldn't be an easy case to win but it'd certainly be an expensive case and no offence intended...", he motioned to Noah, "... your Mom doesn't have the money to fight me in Court."

Sobering up Noah addressed Burt,

"I... uh if I'm moving in, I'll need to pay you rent... I uh... I don't have a lot...", Noah looked abashed as he toed the ground with his sneaker.

"Nonsense son, you're now family as far as I'm concerned...", seeing the warning on his son's face however he quickly qualified his statement, "... well maybe not strictly family, I wouldn't want my boy to feel he was dating his brother or anything..."

The group all chuckled at Burt's expression as Kurt looked satisfied with his Dad's decision.

"So where do we go from here?"

Burt considered things for a moment before he hit on plan,

"Who wants Texas Roadhouse?"

The assembled group all giggled and cheered as Noah and Quinn led the way out with Mercedes and Kurt, followed by the remainder of the Gleeks and Burt.

As the double doors to the gym closed, nobody took any notice of the furious Latina who was still swinging suspended as she was from the trapeze. Her microphone had been switched off by the geek who was supposed to have let her down, as he had left with the rest of he crowd.

Her worry over how to get down currently overshadowed her resentment that her plans had failed so spectacularly as she swung her legs, tightly harnessed to the apparatus.

"Um... hello?", she asked just as the lights to the gym shut off plunging her into darkness.

_~finis~_

* * *

**A/N: Yeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaawwwww! **

**It's over. It's over. My story is now officially over. I might do an epilogue, I might not. **

**I think never knowing whether Santana gets down or whether she stayed up there for days until her corpse was discovered still attached to the bar by her harness is good enough for me!**

**Poor Kurt and Noah – in the end it was the depth of feeling of one girl, Q, that kept them together. **

**I hope you've enjoyed reading my story and I hope you are happy with the ending. When I first envisaged how I wanted the story to end I thought, 20,000 words maybe, start to finish. **

**183,000 words later and the story's over. Phew.**

**I'm now going to take a little break from writing I think and let my brain cool down. It's been an all-consuming task the past month or so.**

**Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to read my story and especially to those who provided me with the inspiration to keep writing when I would have otherwise stopped in frustration. **

**The musical credits in this chapter go to,**

"**I Have Seen" by Zero 7**

"**Kiss" and "Raspberry Beret" by Prince**

"**It's Your Love" by Tim McGraw & Faith Hill**

**And finally before I turn out the lights,**

**PLEASE REVIEW**


	40. Chapter 40

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. **

**A/N: What is it they say about wishes and commands?**

"**I want a Epilogue..."**

"**Have an Epilogue then..."**

**:-)**

**Oh and WARNING: SLASHY GOODNESS. **

**What? It wouldn't be a proper epilogue without Noah's big slab of meat now would it? XD**

**Epilogue – Back to the Future...**

* * *

"C'mon Noah... it's just a suit, stop being a big baby!", said Kurt as he stood impatiently outside the changing rooms, his arms crossed over his chest and tapping his foot.

"It's not a suit... it's a god damn straitjacket... I look like a 19th century dandy after a paint ball fight...", grumbled the jock from behind the saloon style doors.

The brunette just rolled his eyes as he listened to the taller boy bitch and moan.

"I don't see why we need to get stupid monkey suits anyway... it's not like we're the ones getting married..."

Sighing in resignation as he'd gone over this same argument with Noah on a dozen separate occasions Kurt tried once again to explain,

"Because Noah...", he could almost picture the boy scowling at his lecturing tone, "... it's Brittany's wedding and she wanted us all in powder blue dinner suits..."

Kurt shivered in disgust at the memory of his own fitting for the hideous fashion disaster he was doomed to wear to the ceremony.

_'Thank God I was able to find a tailor who would make my suit out of Angora'_

Finally after a heavy thump where Noah had overbalanced and head-butted the wall, he stumbled from the changing room with an unhappy glower on his face,

Kurt couldn't help the twitch of his lips as he took in the adorable sight of Noah in a powder blue polyester tuxedo.

"Oh, the ruffle is just so cute..."

Noah just grumbled more audibly before crossing his arms over his chest in annoyance, the material of his suit making an alarming crinkling sound as he did so.

Stepping towards the taller boy, Kurt got up on his tiptoes to place a gentle kiss on the boy's lips smiling as the former football player returned the kiss automatically.

Noah's arms wrapped around the soprano as he deepened the kiss, feeling the always present primal feeling of arousal sweep through him.

Breaking from the kiss, both breathing heavily, Kurt laid his head on Noah's chest, wrinkling his nose as the fabric irritated his sensitive skin.

"The things I do to keep you happy Princess...", sighed Noah placing a kiss to the crown of Kurt's head.

Mumbling against Noah's chest, the sound muffled by the ruffles Kurt replied,

"Hey! It's a two way street remember... remember Quinn's old Cheerios outfit?"

Kurt giggled as he felt little-noah twitch in his boyfriend's pants at the memory,

"I see you do remember... do you think I'd still put that on after so many years if I didn't love you?"

"It still fits you like a glove Princess...", argued Noah,

"That's beside the point Noah...", Kurt interjected while Noah pressed on,

"And you looked damned sexy in that pleated skirt..."

The beast in Noah's chest rattled it's cage in satisfaction seeing the blush staining his love's cheeks.

"If Quinn ever finds out it was me that stole that outfit from her closet though..", Kurt warned as he fought to control his flushing cheeks.

Little Noah was now definitely in a not so little-noah mood and the fabric of the polyester pants was in danger of being ripped asunder as Noah started to thrust gently against the smaller body seeking friction.

"Noah... we're in the middle of a department store..."

The taller man was undeterred however as he simply shuffled backwards dragging the brunette with him, parting the saloon style doors on the dressing room with his back.

Now safely ensconced within the small cubicle, Noah claimed Kurt's lips as the brunette looped his arms around the taller man's neck.

Kurt could feel Noah's erection straining at the fabric of his pants as he ground his hips into the larger body, enjoying the rumbling growl the movement elicited.

"Never get tired of this..." sighed Noah as he broke the kiss and attacked the brunette's neck earning a squeak of surprise.

Noah could feel Kurt's nimble fingers working the fly of his rented pants and growling in consternation when the stubborn zip refused to work properly. Finally managing to unfasten the pants, Kurt dropped to his knees in front of the taller man, taking the fabric and the man's underwear with him to pool around Noah's ankles.

Wasting no time, the years of practice at the art having well prepared him, Kurt engulfed the head of the cock dangling between the now groaning Noah's legs.

"Fuck... Princess..."

It had been six years since the first time Kurt had taken Noah into his mouth, the first time he'd been unsure, been hesitant, now however he was skilled enough to be able to swallow his man in his entirety.

Kurt could feel the little patch of hair which Noah kept above his cock tickling the end of his nose as he swallowed and enjoyed the resulting twitch from Noah as he reached up to palm his heavy balls, rolling them in the palm of his hand.

Noah leaned his back against the wall of the cubicle and his eyes slipped shut as Kurt increased his suction, bobbing his head and doing that fabulous little trick with the tip of his tongue that never failed to drive him wild.

"Oh _fuck _me!...",

Noah was unusually gifted with a phenomenal stamina, the ability to pound away into his smaller partner for hours before his balls would give that warning tingle that the end was nigh.

When he was engulfed within the warm moist cavity of Kurt's mouth however, he was always reduced, without fail to a babbling and incoherent puddle of goo.

Kurt disengaged from Noah's cock with a wet plop as he looked up at the man with his head lolling back and his eyes closed.

"Noah... you'd think after all these years you'd have learned you have to watch..."

Hazel eyes snapped open and focused on the baby blue eyes of his smaller lover.

"Sorry love... you know I love to watch... you're just too good sometimes is all..."

The brunette smirked at Noah before replying,

"Oh I know I'm good."

"Jesus _fucking_ Christ..."

Noah's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed onto the little bench, when Kurt pounced on his cock swallowing it to the root once again.

Noah's breath was coming in short pants now and his vision was whiting out the pleasure was so intense. He could feel the churning in his balls becoming more pronounced as he fought against the desire to spill his seed.

He was about to warn the brunette of the impending climax, when the suction stopped and Kurt simply sat immobile with the jock's cock lodged at the entrance to his throat.

Noah understood immediately what it was that Kurt wanted from him as he forced his unresponsive hands to take up position on either side of the boy's head. Thrusting his hips forward, he heard the small soprano's gasp as the large mushroom head of his cock slipped into his throat.

Increasing his speed, Noah fucked Kurt's face with abandon, always careful however to ensure his smaller lover was still comfortable.

It had taken many requests, much discussion and several arguments between the brunette and the former football player before Noah had accepted that Kurt had a submissive side that he needed to let out on occasion.

Not many would understand the logic behind the need to be deprived of oxygen in such manner - when Kurt had broken down in tears as he explained how it made him feel loved; to be able to turn over his safety and well-being into the hands of the larger man; Noah had known in that instant that he would do it despite his own initial reservations.

That wasn't to say that the sensations weren't pleasurable, _fuck_ were they ever! Noah's thrusting picked up speed until he was pistoning in and out of the smaller boy's mouth and he could feel the spit spilling out the side of the soprano's mouth to run down his chin.

Finally, with a final animalistic cry, which he stifled as best he could on the arm of the suit jacket, Noah thrust his cock deep into Kurt's throat, completely covering the brunette's airway, as he disgorged rope after rope of come directly down the smaller man's throat.

Slumping bonelessly against the back wall of the cubicle, Noah watched as Kurt lifted his head from his lap, his still fat but softening cock falling from his mouth with a wet plop and settling on Noah's bare thigh.

Kurt sat back on his haunches as he reached into an inside pocket of his Marc Jacobs jacket, an original from this year's fall collection and withdrew a handkerchief. Daintily wiping the corner of his mouth and removing all traces of the saliva from his chin he waited for Noah to collect himself.

Cracking an eye, Noah looked down at the smug faced brunette who smirked back at him,

"So are you bothered about the suit now Noah?"

The boy just chuckled as he shook his head.

"Nope. Don't give a shit about the suit anymore..."

Hearing movement outside the cubicle, Kurt got up off his knees as Noah sat up with a groan and popped his cock back inside his pants, zipping up the fly.

Peeking over the saloon doors on his tiptoes, Kurt could see the shop assistant picking up hangers and filing them away into a storage cupboard. Silently, Kurt pushed the door open and slipped back out into the waiting area.

Calling through the dressing room door and causing the assistant to jump in surprise Kurt affected a bored tone,

"C'mon Noah... you must be changed by now..."

The assistant looked at Kurt's face which was schooled into a perfect expression of the put upon partner as he rolled his eyes in mock affectation.

The assistant smiled warmly not having any idea what had just taken place literally feet from where he'd been standing, before heading back out onto the shop floor.

A moment later, Noah now dressed in his light grey dress pants and white shirt, with his suit slung over his arm exited the dressing room.

Just as they were about to exit towards the shop themselves, a small high pitched voice interrupted them,

"Unky Noah... Unky Kurt..."

A little blonde blur connected with Noah's legs causing the larger man to grunt in surprise and stagger while trying to keep his balance.

"Nathaniel... what have we said about running in the store?", said an out of breath Burt as he staggered in after the wayward child.

"Sorry Daddy...", murmured the little blonde child into Noah's legs.

A little over a year after Noah moved in with the Hummels, Burt had proposed to Carole and after two years of IVF the newly minted Mr & Mrs Burt Hummel had been blessed with the arrival of little Nathaniel Christopher Hummel. The precocious four year old was a whirling dervish of energy that kept Burt and Carole busy from dawn til dusk.

Though technically Nathaniel and Kurt were half-brothers, the little four year old wasn't able to understand the complex relationship both Kurt and Finn enjoyed with their new family and Kurt was happy to be 'Unky Kurt' to the little spitfire.

Reaching down to pick the boy up, Burt groaned as he settled the blonde on his hip.

"Suit fit OK?" he asked Noah.

"Unfortunately..." mumbled Noah while Kurt elbowed him in the side,

"Play nice Noah..."

"Play nice Unky Noah..." parroted Nathaniel before giggling as Kurt winked at him.

The former football player just rolled his eyes at being double teamed by the Hummel boys grousing about unfair advantages.

"Well if you're finished here..." said Burt with a look of a man who understood what it was like to have a demanding partner, "... we need to go meet Carole and Finn at the food court."

With a nod the group wandered out of the store and down the concourse.

* * *

"It's all so beautiful..." sniffled Kurt as he watched Brittany and Mike exchanging vows. The brunette was off to the side with a handkerchief in his hand as he dabbed at his watery eyes.

The wedding itself was a complete riot of colour. Britt had insisted on wearing a fluffy pink monstrosity of a fairy dress and Mike being Mike, had simply allowed the girl whatever she wanted and gone with the flow. There were garlands in pink and blue and yellow surrounding every pillar in the church and there was multicoloured confetti strewn everywhere courtesy of Brittany's niece who was acting as flower girl.

Mike himself was stood in a somewhat flattering light blue tuxedo which actually did suit his wiry frame quite well,

_'It's just a shame it's polyester...'_, thought Kurt.

"Do you Brittany Tallulah Chanterelle Morris take..."

"Do you Michael Aaron Chang take ..."

The vows were read and the rings exchanged before the minister pronounced the happy couple man and wife.

As Kurt broke down completely bawling into his handkerchief his heart swelled when he felt the embrace of the larger man as he turned him to face his chest.

"Shhh love..." murmured Noah into the brunette's ear,

"It's all so _beautiful_..." the brunette sobbed before his happy tears redoubled.

"Unky Kurt... Unky Kurt... Why you cryin' Unky Kurt..."

An insistent tugging at his pants leg caused Kurt to stop crying and to look down at the worried face of little Nathaniel.

"It's alright Nathaniel, they're happy tears for my friends."

"Oh." said the little blonde boy clearly not understanding the difference between sad and happy tears, before his attention was distracted the flower girl running up the centre aisle. With a cheer little Nathaniel went haring off after the girl looking to make friends.

Chuckling Noah couldn't help but comment,

"Chasing after the chicks at four years old. If I didn't know better I'd swear he's got a little bit of the Puckzilla in him..."

Kurt just scoffed before pointedly reminding the man,

"This is the same Puckzilla who ended up coming out and has been sleeping with the same man for the past six years don't forget."

Leaning over to place a kiss on the brunette's lips, Noah murmured,

"How could I forget the best thing in my life?"

Looking around the room Kurt spotted all the friends he'd kept in touch with since graduation and considered how things had changed over the years but the more they had also stayed the same.

Mercedes and Matt were still going strong, the pair had decried marriage however in favour of a ceremony on the beach the previous summer in Bali. 'cedes had claimed it was more 'rock star' and Matt had learned over the years not to argue with his spouse. It didn't matter to either of them whether the marriage was legal or not they still loved each other all the same.

Finn and Rachel had split a short time before the Quarterback had gone on to Penn State with a full football scholarship. Having done his stint at College he'd been called back to William McKinley High of all places; when Coach Tanaka took off one summer with a Thai Ladyboy and was never heard from again. He'd now been Acting Coach Hudson for a season and a half and the team had just recently finished runners up in the state championships. He was hopeful of getting the position on a more permanent basis come the end of the school year.

Quinn had gone on to study to be a Vet and was currently working as a trainee with a practice in Dayton. She'd met a nice investment banker by the name of Jared who had proposed to her the previous Christmas and the pair were due to get married in the Fall.

Tina and Artie had split shortly after graduation, though both remained firm friends, neither had entered into another relationship following the break-up each claiming that they still had to get over the other first. Kurt suspected that they'd be back together again shortly and that kids would follow in short order. Artie had found a job in Lima as a software engineer while Tina was at Nursing College about to finish her final set of exams.

Rachel had gone on to bigger and brighter things, though there were few that could stand to be in the same room as her for long periods. Her talent had earned her the success she had always craved and she was now a permanent fixture on Broadway. She'd started dating and then subsequently married Jesse St James a short while after arriving in New York; when they'd found themselves performing in the same musical. There had been various articles in the press about Jesse's extra-marital affairs, but there'd been no comment from Rachel who it seemed was happy to simply be talked about. No publicity is bad publicity after all.

Kurt had given serious thought to following Rachel to New York and it was still his dream to perform one day on the Broadway stage. However he put his dreams on hold in favour of staying near Lima to be with Noah and was now working part-time for a fashion magazine as a columnist. It was an ideal arrangement for the brunette as he could work from home but he also got to go to the major fashion events in New York, Paris, Milan and the like. It also got him discount on his clothing purchases but he swore that was just an added perk and not the sole reason for his working for the magazine.

Burt when he'd married Carole had offered to teach Noah the ropes in the garage and by the time Nathaniel eventually came along, Noah was a qualified mechanic and Burt was happy to have the man there to hand over the reigns of two of the outlets, to allow him to spend more time with his young family.

Noah and Kurt had moved out of the basement and into a modern two bed apartment just a short walk from the Hummel's house, though they'd considered marriage and adoption they both figured they were still young at only 23 for Kurt and 24 for Noah and they had plenty of time.

Lilith had moved with Sarah to Utah to stay with Raymond about three months after she'd disowned Noah. She had promised Noah unfettered access to see Sarah and she'd been true to her word. Noah and Lilith however never repaired their relationship and though he'd never admit it, Kurt knew that the estrangement hurt the jock. Burt and Carole had taken him under their wing however and that had helped to lessen the sense of loss somewhat.

Noah spent weekends away in Utah with Sarah as often as work would permit him and the girl had come to stay with them on the odd occasion too. Once Sarah had been old enough to understand what had happened when she was younger, she'd threatened to divorce her Mom. It was only an impassioned and tearful speech from Noah that prevented the girl from going through with her threat.

Noah had explained how he felt having lost the relationship he had with his Mom and how Sarah shouldn't use him as an excuse to estrange herself from the woman, as he would never be able to forgive himself. The pair had ended up crying on each other's shoulders for the death of the happy family unit they used to have all those years ago.

In the end Sarah's knowledge of prior events had resulted in a stand-off between the girl and Lilith where Sarah won visitation rights to go see Noah for four weeks a year. Though she'd always shown remorse for the breakdown in the relationship between her and her son, Lilith had never apologised and had never wavered in the belief that she was right. She would still cry herself to sleep however at the pain of having lost her son.

Finally there was Santana, well firstly Santana spent three days, from Friday to Monday stuck on the harness on the trapeze. She was in the hospital for some time afterwards as she'd become severely dehydrated and it was during that time that she'd gotten closer to Dave Karofsky who was still in traction.

Within a year and a half Santana had ended up pregnant with twins and the day after graduation had married Karofsky. The marriage didn't last and three months after the twins were born Karofsky left Santana for Azimio, taking the kids with him. Santana had ended up an alcoholic and working as a stripper in a local dive, washed up and with nothing to live for by the age of twenty-two.

The End...

* * *

**A/N: OK... this is REALLY going to be the end of this story now. No epilogue for the epilogue. No one shots no nothing. **

**I've got another project in mind but I'm not sure whether to get started on it immediately or to take a little time off. If enough people want me to write immediately I will, so it's up to you...**

**This brings Whatever You Want up to 40 Chapters which is a nice round number that I'm quite pleased with. **

**Thank you all for your reviews and I hope this Eppie goes some way to satisfying your need for closure.**

**James aka The-Jellybaby-Bandit**

**x0x0x0**


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